tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2762661178381746673Sun, 23 Jul 2017 08:33:02 +0000BuggyBoogieMr. BananasAlmost Wordless WednesdayRunningWhile hubby's awayChristmasRelationshipsBaby #3FamilySiblingsBirthdaykid picturesmilestoneschoolBirthday partyKindergartenswimmingCraft ProjectsKidismsPhotosSwim teamday in photosgrandparentspreschoolBeanBooksKid booksOver scheduleddancingorganization4 year oldBest friendsLentPregnancySummer CampThe House that Cleans Itselfdaddyhalloweenlabor and deliverymy momtime for yourselfAnniversaryBible CampFaithFitnessFlipperHalloween costumesMauiSharing faith with kidsSick kidsbaby weightbig girl pantscrochet blanketsdiscombobulatedgirly thingsmarriagemother's helperparentingpotty trainingprayert-ballteachingto do listwomen run businesseswriting1 Year Old3 years oldAdventBaby #4Dance RecitalFilipino relativesFull-time motherhoodGreen Bay PackersHolidaysLessonsLost ToothMother's DayMusicSaintsSnowSummer SwimTooth FairyWeight Loss Journeyaffirming words for kidsbirth ordercluttercousinscutenessfamily dinnerhalf marathonhelpful husbandhusbandidentitykid mishapsmiddle childnight time dryperspectiveplaydateracesoccerstay at home momstressvacationweight loss5:30 am6 year oldAsh WednesdayBaby #4?Baby TalkBalancing actBananasBattyBeachBerkley SpringsBorn to RunChristmas EveDIYEasterFAILFather's dayFirst day of SchoolGardenGodparentsHow to Train Your DragonHubbyJamal CoatesMeal planningNew Year's resolutionsNew YearsReadingResolutionsSucker?The ChosenThe HelpVibram 5 FingersWedding Anniversaryaddicted to runningaffirmationaudio booksback-to-schoolbaking with kidsbenefits of a big familydaddo overdress-upelementary schoolextra curricular activitiesfollow-throughfriendskid sportsme timemommy bladdermy carprioritiesrefrigeratorroad tripspa weekendwork1 month old100 Days of school1st day of school1st grade2 months old2 year old20122nd grade3 months old31 weeks4 months old4th of July55K6 months oldAmazonAunt MickeyBaby #5Barefoot runningBooBrian BiggsButterfly MammaCamp JupiterCherry blossomsChronicles of NarniaCostcoCrochet projectsDear ZooDiana GabaldonDimity McDowellDisney moviesEbookEpitosExpectationsFabian EscapesFaceTimeFacebookFancy NancyFather-Daughter DanceFun RunGilmore GirlsGod's Mighty WarriorHarry PotterHelicopter MomHostessI will be the oneIEPIrelandJanet EvanovichJonahLOSTLeiaLife Your WayLukeMandiMeadowside Nature CenterMeltdownMizunoMonhegan Island MEMoviesMusingsNetflixOutlanderPRPatricia PolaccoPensivePercy JacksonPet PeevesPhilippinesPriesthood?Proverbs 31RatatouilleRenn FestRun Like a MotherRunning FestivalSBSSantaSara Bowen SheaService ProjectsSilly FacesSmurfetteSonSong lyricsSpringSt. AnthonySt. ColumbaSt. Mary's City MDSt. Patrick's DayStar WarsStephanie PlumTVTargus Bag GiveawayThunder CakeTop ChefTrain Like a MotherTravelingTwinkiesVBSVSDVentricular septal defectVoltWIld KrattsWave Rider 16Wrestling NamesYodaadult siblingsafter school activieisafter school activitiesartbaby sign-languagebad bossesbaptismbathroomsbedtime storybig kid bedbirth storiesblogsbonkingcamp Half-bloodchildbirthchurchcrochetdate nightdaughterdeathdecisionsdreamsearmuffsearthquakeexerciseexhaustionextravagant givingfashionfeministfinancesflying with kidsforeign languagefoul languagefreestylefriendgingerbread housegood samaritiangracegriefhatshearthouse cleaninghurricanein memoriamin-lawsinterloperinvite etiquetteipod playlistkickboard raceleadershiplovelove notesmini meetmissing daddymommore childrenmother-in-lawmy house threw up on itselfmy kitchen countermy parentsnailsoverpronatepersonalitiespicturesplantar faciitisplantar fasciitisplayground issuesplaying togetherpost electionpro-liferacingrainrainbowsrefugereturnssafetyscaryschool yearsexysicksister-in-lawsnow daysnowmaggedonsole sistersspin classsticker shockstudentssummerthe catsthe trying 3stimetimeoutstraining runstrainstraveling with kidstrustveggie taleswarm weatherweatherweddingwords of affirmationThe Discombobulated MommyI am a Christian, writing, and running mama. I write and I run to keep my sanity and to be a better wife and mama to my family. Join me in my discombobulated journey as I try make sense of the chaos and find the balance of being a stay at home mom (SAHM) with 4 kids!http://thediscombobulatedmommy.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (The Discombobulated Mommy)Blogger469125TheDiscombobulatedMommyhttps://feedburner.google.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2762661178381746673.post-7147001473631416533Wed, 18 Jan 2017 19:36:00 +00002017-01-18T14:36:17.724-05:00feministpost electionpro-lifeWhere do I Fit? I Don't Know. I know. I &nbsp;have written sporadically. I actually do keep up on The Discombobulated Mommy Facebook page. &nbsp;It's not every day, but I still keep up and share pictures. &nbsp;These days, I rarely find the time to sit and write out full blog posts. I miss it. &nbsp;I miss writing regularly. I have so much I need to record and yet, life keeps me busy and I have so little to time reflect, ponder, and absorb. Maybe that's what I need to do more.<br /><br />So what has prompted me to write this current post? &nbsp;I just found out via Facebook, that I am a bit of a unicorn. &nbsp;Yes. A unicorn. I find that I don't ever quite fit neatly into a label. &nbsp;I'm too liberal for my conservative friends and I am far too conservative for my liberal friends. &nbsp;Often I scroll through Facebook and I cringe and scroll on when I read such posts as: "All Christians believe..." "All Pro-lifers don't..." "All Republicans are..." Fill in the blank. &nbsp;Usually when posts lump you in with "all" it's not a good thing. &nbsp;Although I consider myself a writer, I don't feel that I am always articulate. Passionate, yes. Articulate, no. And therefore I rarely jump into the social media arguments.<br /><br />So about 3 years ago, on Facebook, I posted a link to an inflammatory article about Planned Parenthood and those who support it. &nbsp;I posted the article because of the very last sentence, "We have to care." That was the one line that truly resonated with me. &nbsp;I was raked over the virtual coals by friends who were insulted and incensed by what I had chosen to post and I was asked to think very carefully about my audience and maybe I just shouldn't post those types of things. Most people didn't read the article because they were so ticked by headline. &nbsp;After 3 days of going back and forth on Facebook on this one particular post, a lot of good discussion came out of it though in the end we still agreed to disagree. &nbsp;Three years later, I am still hurt by what people said to me and how harshly they said it. &nbsp;My heart still pounds when I think of that article and my face still flushes with embarrassment. &nbsp;I never meant to insult anyone and fortunately one of my friends (who still disagreed with the article) pointed that out. &nbsp;I am frustrated with myself for not being as articulate as I wanted to be and having such a thin skin and not standing up for myself a little better. <br /><br />So I bring you to today. &nbsp;In two days we will have a new President. &nbsp;There has been a lot of frustration and anger as what our country has done by electing Donal Trump as our new president. And speaking with friends, many didn't vote for him or for Hillary Clinton. &nbsp;I was frustrated that the candidates I wanted to vote for weren't around by the time it came for my state to put in their vote. So I was left with two people who I felt did not represent me. But I still voted. &nbsp;As per usual, I voted with an significant issue in mind. &nbsp;I voted for life. I voted for a possible third party candidate who had a pro-life platform. &nbsp;Alas, he did not win. But at least I tried. I voted.<br /><br />The day after the Presidential Inauguration, there will be Women's March. &nbsp;Many of my friends started posting about it and how they wanted to be a part of it. I warily looked into. So many good reasons to go. So many voices to be heard. So many important topics to support and I would be proud to support them. &nbsp;But again, I watched the posts on Facebook from several friends and groups. I was invited, along with others, to walk with local women, many of them personal friends. And yet, I hesitated. &nbsp;I continued to watch, read, and listen. &nbsp;And more and more I felt like I didn't quite belong. &nbsp;You see, and what you have probably have already deduced is that I am a pro-life woman. &nbsp;And at the time that the beginning preparations for the march were happening, that probably didn't matter. &nbsp;So what? &nbsp;But you see, as a pro-life woman, it is often asked why wouldn't one support women's rights? How could I, as a woman, not support other women? &nbsp;But did you know that you can still be a feminist and be pro-life? &nbsp;And actually, I wasn't sure if you could. &nbsp;I knew that I was, but I knew others wouldn't consider me a feminist, so I doubted my existence. &nbsp;I allowed other people to label me and set me aside solidly into one camp. It didn't bother in the sense that I was still going to support women's rights, but I would also support the rights of the pre-born. <br /><br />Over the last few months I have read personal heart-wrenching stories from women about why they are grateful abortion is legal and why late-term abortion should be legal. &nbsp;I wept. &nbsp;I wavered in my position. I wondered and still do if there can't be a better way to support these women so that they don't have to go through still-births, horrific miscarriages, and instances where they felt that abortion was the only possible choice for them. &nbsp;And I don't have an answer. &nbsp;It doesn't mean I've stopped looking for one. But it does mean that I am working harder at supporting women at all stages. &nbsp;Being pro-life means that we look at the whole and not just the birth of the baby. It means supporting the mamas who have made the decision to keep their babies even though their circumstances were less than ideal. &nbsp;Being pro-life means providing better and affordable health care for women and the men and families who support them. &nbsp;Being pro-life means, advocating for better mental health care. This one hits personally as I am who struggles, sometimes daily, with depression. &nbsp;A depression that can be so profound that it has tipped to the side of suicidal thoughts as recently as two years ago. &nbsp;How can I be pro-life while at the same time contemplating my own suicide. &nbsp;Paradoxical isn't it? &nbsp;It happens. Again, I don't fit into any one box. <br /><br />We so often link pro-life advocacy and pro-choice advocacy as if they go hand in hand. But pro-life is more than just the birth of a baby. &nbsp;It is &nbsp;the support of life throughout various physical and mental challenges, and I am talking about the every day person, not just infants. &nbsp;And I believe that being pro-choice is more than just abortion. You may disagree with me. And that's okay. Which brings me to my point.<br /><br />Women are angry and frustrated with the politics surround them. &nbsp;They want to march in Washington, Chicago, New York, and wherever a group of women can get together and support their ideals and values. &nbsp;We want you to HEAR us. But I unfortunately found out through social media that I don't exist because I can't be pro-life and a feminist, and because I don't exist, I don't have a voice. And that is frustrating to me. So I won't be marching. &nbsp;Organizers have decided to make a pro-choice platform a very big one and as a result have dissolved a partnership from one of the pro-life feminist groups who applied and was granted partnership for the march.. Oh, wait, you didn't know that there were pro-life feminists groups? &nbsp;Neither did I until recently and that is when I found out that I was unicorn. &nbsp;That there are others like me who feel strongly about women's issues AND the life of the pre-born. &nbsp;But I digress. I am sad and frustrated to know that we as women, have alienated one another at a time we should be walking in solidarity. That we are not allowing every voice to be heard in partnership with the march. &nbsp;Yes, the pro-life feminist groups will still march in solidarity. But they will not be considered a partner. And that is is to me a sad commentary of what this election has done to our country. It has divided us when we should be united. &nbsp;Let us be heard. &nbsp;Let all the voices carry weight. &nbsp;And let us do it with compassion, empathy, and grace.<br /><br />As I struggled about what I could do and what I wanted to do and how I wanted to approach the post election days and years to come, I know that I wanted to still be a voice. &nbsp;So, I personally have decided to put my head down and work. &nbsp;Work to help others. I will choose to be kind, to support other people, and to work for social justice. I realize that I don't need to be loud. That's not necessarily my personality either. But I can still donate diapers and wipes to the pregnancy center. I can make baby blankets for new babies. Afghans for new mamas. I can provide meals for a homeless shelter. I can provide food for a food pantry. I can bring my children and teach them do the same. &nbsp;And we do it in solidarity. We do it to provide support in whatever way we can. &nbsp;Sometimes quiet servitude is all that it is needed. There will always be someone more articulate, louder, more knowledgeable than I am. So instead of being flustered or insulted or labeled, I will simply be Heather. A mother. A wife. A writer. A slow runner. A person who is often discombobulated and lacks organization or the ability to keep to a schedule. &nbsp;A person who will always struggle to know the value of her self-worth, but will work at it each and every day. A person with great passion. And I will try to remember to do small things with great love. And I humbly ask each of you: no matter what you believe in, please approach each day with great love and compassion. We are called to serve one another. I think we will find that when we serve one another, we will begin to unify and heal our hurting country. <br /><br />As Always, very humbly yours,<br />Heather, The Discombobulated Mommy<br /><br />http://thediscombobulatedmommy.blogspot.com/2017/01/where-do-i-fit-i-dont-know.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (The Discombobulated Mommy)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2762661178381746673.post-913238491242788268Sun, 10 Apr 2016 15:03:00 +00002016-04-10T11:03:35.579-04:00deathgriefmommother-in-lawProverbs 31She is Worth More than Rubies<div style="text-align: left;"></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GotBeRGVtok/VwpleEBwd5I/AAAAAAAADSo/qMZVXzkGEx4tL1oHGXilim58uigU2Xa-Q/s1600/IMG_20160304_0052.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="312" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GotBeRGVtok/VwpleEBwd5I/AAAAAAAADSo/qMZVXzkGEx4tL1oHGXilim58uigU2Xa-Q/s320/IMG_20160304_0052.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Giving my mother-in-law a rose as a part<br />of our wedding mass</td></tr></tbody></table>On Leap Day this year,my mother-in-law passed on from this life and went to be with her Savior. &nbsp;It was only 7 hours from the time I heard the news that she was going to the hospital and to the news that she had passed away. My sister-in-law Becky texted all of her siblings and their spouses to let us know that when she went by to visit her mother that she was disoriented and not feeling well so Becky called 911 and Mom was transported to the hospital. &nbsp;At the time we thought she was dehydrated because Mom had thought she had a stomach bug and hadn't eaten or had much to drink prior to when Becky came to visit. &nbsp;But as time went on the prognosis was not good. &nbsp;Mom had had a heart attack sometime after the paramedics came and they were able to resuscitate her. The doctors did find that she was bleeding in her abdomen and immediately began prepping for surgery. However, as they prepped, they realized that they wouldn't be able to repair the bleeding artery and that my husband's mother was dying. &nbsp;We received another text minutes after Hubby came home from work saying that the doctors recommended everybody come to the hospital. Within 15 minutes my husband was changed out of his work clothes, grabbed some food, hustled out the door and drove 45 minutes to be with his family. &nbsp;Around 11pm that night, I received a text from my sweet husband telling me his mother had died. &nbsp;I cried.<br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SFtYd9yWSTo/Vwpluhzir_I/AAAAAAAADSw/8kL4sX291WY7jMn0HkpYhsEjZiUIALWaw/s1600/IMG_20160304_0057.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="318" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SFtYd9yWSTo/Vwpluhzir_I/AAAAAAAADSw/8kL4sX291WY7jMn0HkpYhsEjZiUIALWaw/s320/IMG_20160304_0057.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hubby and his mom during the mother and son<br />dance during our wedding reception</td></tr></tbody></table>It happened so fast and it was so unexpected. &nbsp;The grief that surrounded us was numbing and the all of it seemed surreal. This could not be happening. &nbsp;But it did happen. My husband had lost his mother and my children had lost their grandmother. <br /><br />I was lucky and blessed to have had a wonderful mother-in-law. &nbsp;She accepted and welcomed me into the family. My husband is the youngest of five and the last one to be married. &nbsp;My mother-in-law treated me as if I was one of her own children. She shared her love of books and her strong faith with me. &nbsp;She introduced me into Diana Gabaldon's Outlandish world and she prayed for me during my conversion into the Catholic faith. &nbsp;She came to the hospital after the birth of each of my children, usually being one of my first visitors. She and Dad came with flowers and arms ready to hold small bundles of joy. &nbsp;She cherished each of her 22 grandchildren and did all she could to spend one-on-one time with each one for their birthdays. &nbsp;Mom loved being a grandmother and she was good mother-in-law. <br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9WgZhAadnvY/Vwpn-o1jUqI/AAAAAAAADTA/baYXu_L0nHcrQNJ-1yE2JHcZitZEzWxgQ/s1600/IMG_0147.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9WgZhAadnvY/Vwpn-o1jUqI/AAAAAAAADTA/baYXu_L0nHcrQNJ-1yE2JHcZitZEzWxgQ/s320/IMG_0147.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grandma with her 13th grandchild, Boogie</td></tr></tbody></table>As the days slipped by one by one, my husband and I were gripped with a grief like we had never felt before. Life seemed much more vulnerable and fragile. &nbsp;My husband grieved silently and spent many days with his siblings and his father preparing funeral arrangements. After a few days he spoke and shared his version of what he saw and experienced in those final hours. &nbsp;My heart broke again. It was difficult to be strong for him and keep up with daily routines for our children while I also grieved. &nbsp;My husband is an amazing man. His strength and tenderness are incredible. &nbsp;He wrote and shared his eulogy at the funeral. &nbsp;He mourned. He grieved. He met each day getting by one hour at a time. &nbsp;His grief encompassed him and I felt like there was nothing I could do to ease his pain or his grief. <br /><br />I also grieved and felt that I could not lay claim on the grief I had. &nbsp;I felt that it could not belong to me because it was not for me to take. &nbsp;It was not my birth mother who had died. Yet, I grieved. I had known my mother-in-law for nearly 20 years and she was a constant in my life. I grieved for my husband. I grieved for my father-in-law. I grieved for my sisters and brother-in-law. I grieved for my children. And I grieved for myself. &nbsp;When I finally allowed myself to lay some claim on the grief, the pain eased. &nbsp;But it eased in miniscule increments, like water droplets.<br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_77dulwVQVo/VwpoLchNvWI/AAAAAAAADTI/-U7rJryU25AwzFHX854uaeUmVCPlFQS1w/s1600/IMG_2652.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_77dulwVQVo/VwpoLchNvWI/AAAAAAAADTI/-U7rJryU25AwzFHX854uaeUmVCPlFQS1w/s320/IMG_2652.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grandma with her 16th grandchild, Buggy</td></tr></tbody></table>I was touched to be asked to be one of mom's pall bearers during the funeral. &nbsp;I cried as I, my brothers-in-law, and my sister-in-law walked Mom down the aisle towards the front of the church. &nbsp;My sweet baby took tissues and wiped my face when I came to our pew. &nbsp;My husband gave his eulogy during the wake. &nbsp;My sister-in-law Mary sang and cantored the funeral service. Every person in our family had a part in the funeral service. &nbsp;My two youngest greeted the visitors. &nbsp;My big kids handed out programs. My oldest brought up the eucharist with his cousins. &nbsp;My in-laws and husband walked Mom up and down the aisle for the wake. &nbsp;We all had a part. We were all included. Every grandchild was given a part to be a part of their grandmother's exit from the physical world. &nbsp;It was humbling, loving, inclusive, and sad. And sad doesn't even begin to cover it. <br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uibt47EiYTY/VwpoeUpZMaI/AAAAAAAADTQ/-axOTl1_afU2i75GxIecZ_4HPxtUR8SYg/s1600/DSC05178.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uibt47EiYTY/VwpoeUpZMaI/AAAAAAAADTQ/-axOTl1_afU2i75GxIecZ_4HPxtUR8SYg/s320/DSC05178.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grandma and Grandpa with their<br />19th grandchild, Mr. Bananas</td></tr></tbody></table>When my family embraced our grief and accepted it, it was then that we were able to move on. &nbsp;It doesn't mean we don't greet each day with a bit of sadness. &nbsp;It meets us at unexpected times. &nbsp;It comes over us. &nbsp;It passes over us. It kisses our cheeks. And then it slides away, but it doesn't go far. It's always there. It lingers. &nbsp;Through this sadness my husband and I have clung to each other a little more tightly. The kisses goodbye when he leaves for work are more tender. Our hugs are a little tighter. We say "I love you" in greeting and in passing. &nbsp;We hold hands a little longer. We snuggle in a little closer on the couch. &nbsp;All in the effort to remind each other that we are together, that are we there for each other, and that we are doing this life together. <br /><br />We feel more vulnerable. More exposed. More fragile. &nbsp;So therefore, we hold on a little tighter.<br /><br /><b style="color: #333333; font-family: Lusitana, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px;">1 Thessalonians 4:13-18</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Lusitana, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px;">&nbsp; “Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.&nbsp;</span><span style="border: 0px; bottom: 1ex; color: #333333; font-family: Lusitana, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12px; height: 0px; line-height: 0; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">&nbsp;</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Lusitana, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px;">According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep.&nbsp;</span><span style="border: 0px; bottom: 1ex; color: #333333; font-family: Lusitana, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12px; height: 0px; line-height: 0; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">&nbsp;</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Lusitana, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px;">For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.&nbsp;</span><span style="border: 0px; bottom: 1ex; color: #333333; font-family: Lusitana, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12px; height: 0px; line-height: 0; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">&nbsp;</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Lusitana, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px;">After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.&nbsp;</span><span style="border: 0px; bottom: 1ex; color: #333333; font-family: Lusitana, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12px; height: 0px; line-height: 0; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">&nbsp;</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Lusitana, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px;">Therefore encourage one another with these words.”</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Lusitana, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_MCEVqQmxHE/VwppJT_jshI/AAAAAAAADTc/8ZXoYCYV8d4MEynjs3xM73W24Al6zukMA/s1600/IMG_8148.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_MCEVqQmxHE/VwppJT_jshI/AAAAAAAADTc/8ZXoYCYV8d4MEynjs3xM73W24Al6zukMA/s320/IMG_8148.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grandma with her 22nd and last grandchild, Bean.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XkXrRW1wgU8/VwppeW6z54I/AAAAAAAADTw/J119rFjUKFYOlb052eOqR5ib8IbmFyRmQ/s1600/IMG_20160304_0058.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="308" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XkXrRW1wgU8/VwppeW6z54I/AAAAAAAADTw/J119rFjUKFYOlb052eOqR5ib8IbmFyRmQ/s320/IMG_20160304_0058.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hubby and his parents on our wedding day</td></tr></tbody></table><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-c83xHNBbFxY/VwppTpPYn0I/AAAAAAAADTk/-4jLGJS6XLQtm1iKWcaZ11LPgQaoSSUPA/s1600/IMG_0376.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-c83xHNBbFxY/VwppTpPYn0I/AAAAAAAADTk/-4jLGJS6XLQtm1iKWcaZ11LPgQaoSSUPA/s320/IMG_0376.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hubby and his parents at his graduation</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><br /></div><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Lusitana, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span>http://thediscombobulatedmommy.blogspot.com/2016/04/she-is-worth-more-than-rubies.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (The Discombobulated Mommy)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2762661178381746673.post-3098081950701487760Mon, 23 Nov 2015 17:22:00 +00002015-11-23T12:22:23.373-05:00graceschoolGive a Little GraceThis morning as I waited at the school's doors waiting for them to open so that my daughter could enter I noticed a long line of cars in the parent loop. &nbsp;The idea is that the parents drop off their children and then move on allowing the cars behind them to pull up and do the same. &nbsp;This morning there was a car in the first slot in line and she was just idling. The cars behind her became impatient and started to honk. They couldn't get around her as there were large orange cones blocking their path and for good reason. If they weren't there the parents tend not to pay attention zoom around the car that is "too slow" and it's a recipe for disaster. &nbsp;However, as it was still early and the staff member that monitors the parent loop wasn't out yet. Impatient cars were honking and the cars were lining up. Looking out into the street you could see the long line of cars in either direction. Without the cars moving through the parent loop, other cars could not get in and well, it results in loooooong lines of cars, impatient parents, and antsy children. <br /><br />My friend and I were watching the increasingly angry event and decided to give a hand. While my friend spoke to the parent, I moved the cones and started directing cars to move forward and around. Mind you, I was holding my one year old and I was praying that the frustrated parents wouldn't be in such a rush to move around the waiting car that they would zoom too quickly by and nick us. &nbsp;One parent was hesitant to move forward I asked if he had enough room to get by. He assured me he did, but I could see that he was debating about whether or not to approach the parent. I wished him a Happy Monday and encouraged him to keep moving. One parent pulled up to me and told me that the waiting car shouldn't be there and someone needed to tell her to move. My friend already had and I told him I was just a parent like him and not staff so "Have a happy Monday and move on."<br /><br />Finally the assistant principal came out and spoke to the mother. Come to find out this was her first day of doing drop off and her little preschooler needed a one on one to escort him in. &nbsp;She looked and sounded frazzled, there was miscommunication, and she was getting increasingly upset as she waited for the staff member (who never came out) to assist her. &nbsp;It was all a miscommunication.<br /><br />All I could think was, "Oh, that poor woman. She must be frazzled and slightly embarrassed and frustrated." She is dropping off her most precious heart to school and the long line of cars behind her were showing her their irritation and frustration. &nbsp;And I thought, "Folks, grant each other grace." &nbsp;How often do we move through the day irritated and frustrated with the person in front of us in line who is taking too long, the child who is moving too slowly because he wants to do "by himself!" the person crossing the crosswalk with 4 children and doing it slowly as the 4 year old wants to hop across instead of walking briskly...and the list could go on. <br /><br />As we get ready for Thanksgiving and head into the Advent season where the stores will be crowded, the lines will be longer, and the sugared up children will be slightly more off as they are overstimulated by the lights &nbsp;and sounds that accompanies the Christmas season, remember to grant each other grace. Greet each other with a smile and friendly hello. Hold the doors open for each other, be patient with one another, and grant each other grace.<br /><br />Peace be with you as we head into the preparation of celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior.<br /><br />"Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." &nbsp;2 Corinthians 1:2 (NIV)http://thediscombobulatedmommy.blogspot.com/2015/11/give-little-grace.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (The Discombobulated Mommy)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2762661178381746673.post-3653787668837439863Fri, 20 Nov 2015 17:23:00 +00002015-11-20T12:33:42.988-05:00BoogieIEPschoolMama's Heart Breaks Just a Little<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-G7H5uMw8cTg/Vk9Wq8M1GlI/AAAAAAAADRU/lR5B7cfLQVM/s1600/IMG_1641.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-G7H5uMw8cTg/Vk9Wq8M1GlI/AAAAAAAADRU/lR5B7cfLQVM/s320/IMG_1641.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My sweet and goofy Boogie</td></tr></tbody></table>We've been through some big transitions in the last year. &nbsp;Bean was born just a little over a year ago and while I was learning to navigate post-partum and mothering 4 children I had to learn to navigate the IEP (Individualized Educational Plan) process from the other side of the table. Being an educator, I knew the process, being a mother who has a child who may need an IEP is a whole different story. &nbsp;Since preschool I had had some concerns over my son's development. &nbsp;Things weren't clicking for him as I thought they should. More than once I was told that he's doing "just fine." But that didn't work for &nbsp;me. You see, I could tell that he was bright, but there was a disconnect. Even though he was reading and processing and comprehending above grade level texts, he was still doing letter reversals in his writing. His handwriting was horrible and he had a hell of a time with executive functioning and following multi-step directions. &nbsp;So in my 2nd month of pregnancy we started down the road of having him tested. &nbsp;More than once I was told that he <i>could</i> be on the spectrum. &nbsp;What spectrum you ask? The autism spectrum. &nbsp;And quite frankly the developmental pediatrician said that my sweet Boogie walks a fine line. &nbsp;He said if Aspberger's was still an independent diagnosis and not lumped under the very wide umbrella of autism, there would have been a chance he would have diagnosed Boogs as having Aspberger's. But now the diagnosis would be high functioning autism because of the way it's defined in the DSM. &nbsp;But at the time, the pediatrician didn't have enough data to make that diagnosis. &nbsp;He said that Boogie definitely has dysgraphia (difficulty with writing) and he is diagnosed with that. &nbsp;We will have to do further testing and evaluation if we want to determine definitely if Boogs is on the spectrum. &nbsp;Right now, we decided to wait.<br /><br />I bring this up because this has been a tough year trying to understand my son a little more and trying to support and guide him a little more. Meeting his needs and giving him the tools and skills he needs to navigate life. &nbsp;Academically he's aces. &nbsp;Socially and emotionally he needs a lot more help. &nbsp;So we did the IEP process. We had him assessed through the school and from their point of view he came up with <b>NOT</b> being on the spectrum, but having a lot of difficulty with executive functioning. &nbsp;His writing disability came up. We also found out he's effing brilliant. I don't say that easily. I knew he was bright, but it came up over and over again, "Do you have any idea how intelligent your son is?" I nodded and said, "Well, I know he's bright." It wasn't until I had in my hand his results that I realized that my son is not typical. Not in any way. &nbsp;And as my husband says, "Why be normal?" &nbsp;He can't tie his shoes, but he can give you every single detail from every single book he has ever read. He can give you specific stats on just about every animal. &nbsp;His background knowledge blows me away and often I have to say, "I don't know the answer to that, let me look it up." But he can't follow more than one direction at a time. He can't put together legos. He can't see the forest for the trees. As a result of the testing and giant discrepancy between his cognitive abilities and his writing abilities Boogie was given an IEP. So that we're clear, they (being the school system) don't hand out IEP's like they're candy. They are actually hard to come by and the school systems have a lot of keeper of the keys and they are kind of stingy about handing those out. So imagine my shock when we didn't get a 504 plan, which is lot easier to receive, but an actual IEP. My son has goals, a case manager, accommodation, and support where he needs it most. &nbsp;Not only that, he was also tested as part of his application to attend a program for the highly gifted students. &nbsp;So Boogs is academically in the top 3% of 4th graders in the county. (I had no idea until someone else told me the stats). So now we have an IEP and now we are switching schools to meet my son's academic needs because as it was gently put to us, they can't meet his needs at his home school because his academic needs are above his peers. &nbsp;So we accepted his acceptance and now Boogs attends a school that is a 20 minute bus ride away.<br /><br />I thought it would be easier. I thought that since he had an IEP he would get the support he needed while his learning was enriched. I LOVED his old school. I loved the teachers and the administration. &nbsp;I felt supported, I felt like they KNEW and UNDERSTOOD my child. And they did. &nbsp;They still ask about him when I go to pick up my daughter. &nbsp;But every school is different. My husband will tell you our home school is like a warm hug. It is welcoming. The new school is all business. No warm hug there. &nbsp;It's just very different. &nbsp;We struggled this first quarter to get this case manager to follow Boog's IEP. I was told over and over again, he doesn't need the support as outlined. Nonetheless, they need to follow the IEP until we review and deem it unnecessary. After a meeting and some strongly worded emails, we are getting a little more support. Not a lot, but more. <br /><br />And then, my son missed his bus this week. Not once, but twice. He missed the bus coming home. &nbsp;Because of Boog's difficulty with executive functioning he has come to rely heavily on his peers. He observes routines and situations and sets into place things that will help him. When those variables change, he has difficulty going with the flow and putting in new support systems. So this week the teacher changed the seating in the classroom. End of the 1st quarter so everyone got new seats. No big deal, right? Well unbeknownst to her and to us Boogie has been relying on the two girls at his table to know when to leave for the bus. They never told him to get up, but he noticed when they left the table and he would just follow them to make it to his bus. Well now no one at his current table takes his bus. His cues are no longer there and as a result he missed it when his bus was called. TWICE this week. The second time he was just beside himself sobbing on the phone. &nbsp;I calmed him down and drove the 20 minutes to go pick him up. &nbsp;And here, this where my heart breaks just a little. So Boogie needs help. When Hubby and I asked him what he could do to ensure that he could make it on the bus he said he could ask his classmates/bus mates to tap him when they leave to catch their bus. Okay, so it's not taking full responsibility, it's still relying on others to help him. But it was a strategy. I found out last night that he asked a bunch of kids and most of them said, "no." They said "no." That's where my heart broke. They just said, "no." &nbsp;Some had after school clubs and wouldn't be taking the bus everyday. But others who don't just said, "no." "No, I won't help you." What? &nbsp;So my heart broke. &nbsp;And today while relaying the story to a friend I broke. I cried. The tears that had been threatening since last night spilled. <br /><br />I realize I hate the new school. I hate the lack of support. I miss the warm hug and welcoming smile. &nbsp;It's so closed off and business like. So my heart breaks and I struggle with how to best help my son and support him. &nbsp;In my head I go back and forth about whether or not to pull him from school. For now, I won't. He belongs in that program. He needs that enrichment. He needs that higher level of learning. &nbsp;He needs that push. &nbsp;But he also needs compassion, support, and guidance. I will strive to give that to him from home. &nbsp;I will strive to teach him to be that kind of person who says, "Yes, I'll help you" when someone asks for help because, quite frankly, I don't want to raise an asshole. And boy it is hard to raise kids who are kind, caring, and compassionate. To some it comes quite easily, and to others, it's a skill that needs to be taught. &nbsp;So I pray that I will have the tools and skill to raise my children so that they are not assholes. Don't we all want that? So let's do it.<br /><br /><br />http://thediscombobulatedmommy.blogspot.com/2015/11/mamas-heart-breaks-just-little.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (The Discombobulated Mommy)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2762661178381746673.post-9217772813599887284Tue, 29 Sep 2015 22:10:00 +00002015-09-29T18:10:08.242-04:006 months oldBaby #4BeanBean at 6 months old<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-I8rl-U4h-cU/VgsIBk6vv1I/AAAAAAAADOg/rrtS2d24uBA/s1600/IMG_0006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-I8rl-U4h-cU/VgsIBk6vv1I/AAAAAAAADOg/rrtS2d24uBA/s320/IMG_0006.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our Bean at 6 months</td></tr></tbody></table>I don't know how it's possible that I haven't blogged in almost 6 months except, well I have four kids and one is a baby. We keep busy and I try to document as much as I can on my phone. &nbsp;Thank goodness for social media and that I can look back on pictures on my phone and share the experiences of the past 6 months. <br /><br />I have to say that Bean has been a great baby and life is going really well. It doesn't stop, it doesn't slow down, and if anything it seems to go by faster with the more children we have. &nbsp;I attribute it to the big kids and all of their activities. The more they do, the less I'm home. But I will say that while I'm not blogging everything, I am experiencing it and really trying to be in the moment. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ydc7BVTRNcc/VgsIJPlG7iI/AAAAAAAADP4/A_oiW1_pUOE/s1600/IMG_9683.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ydc7BVTRNcc/VgsIJPlG7iI/AAAAAAAADP4/A_oiW1_pUOE/s320/IMG_9683.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My brother and I with our little ladies.</td></tr></tbody></table>Six months was a busy time for the Bean. She took her first plane ride and she and I went to visit her brand new cousin A., my brother's baby. &nbsp;It was the first time since college that I have traveled by myself. &nbsp;My husband and I have been together over 13 years and we usually travel together except when he travels for work. &nbsp;I was really nervous about the plane flight and all the stuff I had to bring (stroller, carseat carrier, diaper bag, my carryon). &nbsp;I had so much help on the way to Omaha. &nbsp;There was a man traveling by himself and offered to help me load up the stroller onto the belt at security. He told me he has 3 kids and he was traveling alone this time on business and he knew all the ins and out of traveling with little ones. He flipped down the stroller like a pro and flipped it back up in the right position after it went through security. He made sure I had everything before he went on his way to his own gate. I noticed he was wearing a St. Michael's medal and I felt that God was giving me a helping hand on my journey. Bean and I had great seat mates and when it was time to leave the plane the gentlemen behind me not only helped me pull my stuff out of the overhead bin, but walked me off the plane and helped me load up the stroller. &nbsp;My brother met me outside and I was able to spend three days cuddling my niece, giving my brother a chance to sleep while I took care of night time feedings, buying some furniture to help them with all the extra clothes, and decorating A's wall with fun wall clings. &nbsp;I enjoyed spending time with my sweet niece and loving on her while I could. <br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ji8YyoWapro/VgsIGwCiZ-I/AAAAAAAADO0/74RwHfZ47_I/s1600/IMG_9658.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ji8YyoWapro/VgsIGwCiZ-I/AAAAAAAADO0/74RwHfZ47_I/s320/IMG_9658.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bean and her cousin A. meeting for the first time</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;"></div>My brother and I aren't very close and in a way I pushed my way into a trip to visit him. He wasn't ready for me to visit, but I desperately wanted to be of some help to him. I wish he would accept it more often, but he and I are very different people I think me being the older sibling makes him feel like he is being judged all the time. I wish he would see that my help was what it was...help. I remember the days of having a first baby and learning the ropes. &nbsp;He is my only sibling and I just wish we were closer. &nbsp;I spent the 6 months I knew of A's impending arrival extending the olive branch with regular and frequent phone calls to check up and to offer emotional support. My visit was the same. &nbsp;I'd like to say the regular phone calls and visit made us closer, but for whatever reason it didn't. &nbsp;We are back to status quo. Sigh. I continue to extend the olive branch, but I don't think it is being accepted. So I pray and I keep trying.<br /><br />Six months was also marked by Bean's first Easter and celebrating the Resurrection of our Lord and Savior. &nbsp;As always we make it to my in-laws house for the annual Easter egg hunt. Next year I see her giving it a go. This year she was happy to observe.<br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZIbw4WG_xMM/VgsILYjqWDI/AAAAAAAADQQ/mX_RigOz0qg/s1600/IMG_9968.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZIbw4WG_xMM/VgsILYjqWDI/AAAAAAAADQQ/mX_RigOz0qg/s320/IMG_9968.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If you look closely you can see her newly adorned ears.</td></tr></tbody></table>We also had her ears pierced! &nbsp;This is a cultural custom. In the Philippines baby girls always have their ears pierced. I think mine were done at 3 weeks old. Here in the States they like for you to wait until you are 6 months old. &nbsp;I love my husband. He knew her 6 month birthday was coming up and said, "So when are we getting Beanie's ears pierced?" &nbsp;He was also the one to sit with her and hold her. My heart did stop for a second when the gun became stuck and they had to pull a little harder to remove it from the earring and the ear attached! &nbsp;Bean was a trooper and after a few tears and a nursing session, she recovered quickly and her ears are adorned with pretty gold balls. <br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--avIEQIHQhw/VgsIHIPBZuI/AAAAAAAADPI/ZfXvq2aaBcY/s1600/IMG_0078.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--avIEQIHQhw/VgsIHIPBZuI/AAAAAAAADPI/ZfXvq2aaBcY/s320/IMG_0078.jpg" width="240" /></a>At 6 months she continues to sleep in her co-sleeper and she sleeps well. She is sitting up in her Bumbo and had her first try of baby cereal. She is not a fan of any kind of baby food and would much prefer to eat what we eat. &nbsp;But the child needs some teeth first. In the meantime she is eating mushed bananas, mushed sweet potatoes, and anything else we can mush. &nbsp;She is a delight and I can't believe that she is well on her way to becoming a year old.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-050bMslpkOk/VgsLYe3QaWI/AAAAAAAADQg/Csq0HZkWt-g/s1600/IMG_9808.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-050bMslpkOk/VgsLYe3QaWI/AAAAAAAADQg/Csq0HZkWt-g/s320/IMG_9808.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy Easter!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IQFzmpCUMN0/VgsIHERu4fI/AAAAAAAADPY/OZ1Lc833elk/s1600/IMG_9662.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IQFzmpCUMN0/VgsIHERu4fI/AAAAAAAADPY/OZ1Lc833elk/s320/IMG_9662.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bean and A. shared a crib while we visited my brother. <br />Bean just turned 5 months and A. just turned a month old.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-i6YlwB7dvDE/VgsIHfGw1LI/AAAAAAAADPA/KrlrWQrD9ec/s1600/IMG_9669.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-i6YlwB7dvDE/VgsIHfGw1LI/AAAAAAAADPA/KrlrWQrD9ec/s320/IMG_9669.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hanging out with the girls after a late night feeding.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pU70qPaZ2IQ/VgsIIc-PsuI/AAAAAAAADPU/ZtMiCSA0jwI/s1600/IMG_9679.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pU70qPaZ2IQ/VgsIIc-PsuI/AAAAAAAADPU/ZtMiCSA0jwI/s320/IMG_9679.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After I decorated A's wall. Not too bad if I say so myself</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vQg-w5Rwjto/VgsIJkbA14I/AAAAAAAADPw/7GjthiNf59Q/s1600/IMG_9779.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vQg-w5Rwjto/VgsIJkbA14I/AAAAAAAADPw/7GjthiNf59Q/s320/IMG_9779.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A milestone is that Bean learned how to give kisses.<br />I LOVE her kisses.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yT_ClbC2Pfo/VgsIKEEJhTI/AAAAAAAADP8/laLFWhf4a1k/s1600/IMG_9794.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yT_ClbC2Pfo/VgsIKEEJhTI/AAAAAAAADP8/laLFWhf4a1k/s320/IMG_9794.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mr. Bananas and Bean hanging out together.<br />Mr. Bananas loves sharing the iPad with his sister.<br />He really can't get enough of her.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />http://thediscombobulatedmommy.blogspot.com/2015/09/bean-at-6-months-old.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (The Discombobulated Mommy)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2762661178381746673.post-5012936077684188688Mon, 27 Apr 2015 15:33:00 +00002015-04-27T11:33:30.302-04:00BeanThe Bean at 5 months Old<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-g5S_PXKA400/VT5Vs9l14eI/AAAAAAAADNE/BlgTJpgittw/s1600/IMG_9634.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-g5S_PXKA400/VT5Vs9l14eI/AAAAAAAADNE/BlgTJpgittw/s1600/IMG_9634.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a>The Bean turned 5 months old in March and it was pretty uneventful in a good way. &nbsp;She continues to laugh, grow, smile, and loved by everyone. &nbsp;Her big blue eyes take in everything and she<strike> loves</strike>&nbsp;adores her older siblings. &nbsp;She is the one thing that they can all agree on. &nbsp;They all love her and want to be with her. &nbsp;It's like she has always belonged and we were just waiting for her to show up in our family. I can't imagine our family without her.<br /><br />She likes being in her carseat and running errands with me. I know that she is exhausted and should nap, but it's like she wants to take everything in and it's just too good to miss. So my curious girl stays awake, coos, and smiles. &nbsp;I try to go to the gym when I can and go on the days that my aunt works. Bean spends most of that time happily in my aunt's arms. &nbsp;She likes the walk to school and the walk home. She loves hanging out with us. She is starting to sit up more and more and likes when the big kids talk and play with her. &nbsp;Mr. Bananas has discovered that he can recall the words to books and will sit and read to her. He is so good about sharing his books with her. Most times when he's playing on the iPad he'll sit with her and angle the screen towards her so that she isn't left out. &nbsp;She just loves being next to him and spending time with him. I see another friendship in the making. &nbsp;I thought by now that he would grow tired and move on, but no. &nbsp;He proudly proclaims to all that she is HIS baby. <br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bLrHdAAOavk/VT5VyadBuwI/AAAAAAAADNU/yRDUKzQgfow/s1600/IMG_9421.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bLrHdAAOavk/VT5VyadBuwI/AAAAAAAADNU/yRDUKzQgfow/s1600/IMG_9421.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you See?</td></tr></tbody></table>Buggy is a fantastic helper and will sit with The Bean while I make dinner, help Boogie with his homework, or take a quick shower. &nbsp;She anticipates her needs pretty easily and helps with wiping her nose, changing her diapers, or sitting and chatting with her. <br /><br />Boogie wants to hold her, but is nervous about dropping her or jostling her too much. So he admires her from afar. Boogie can be sensitive to noise and I thought for sure that he would complain about her squeals and cries, but no. He is able to block it out when he needs to...I just wish he would do the same with his younger brother.<br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FjtaxqybsBU/VT5Vvj3F8tI/AAAAAAAADNM/epg5JiZokgk/s1600/IMG_9417.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FjtaxqybsBU/VT5Vvj3F8tI/AAAAAAAADNM/epg5JiZokgk/s1600/IMG_9417.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Celebrating with the Epitos at their <br />50th Wedding Anniversary Celebration</td></tr></tbody></table>Life is good. Some days are harder than others. &nbsp;Some are easier. I forgot how tiring it can be to have an infant in the house. &nbsp;I think our biggest challenge these days is getting on a good napping schedule. &nbsp;I didn't really care in the past because 3 other kids were fairly good nappers and could nap anywhere. But not our Bean. Comfort is everything and right now she would rather nap on me. Second best is in the cosleeper next to our bed. I've tried transitioning her to her crib for nap time while keeping her in the cosleeper at night. Nothing doing. She isn't buying it. &nbsp;So I'm going to appreciate the sweet quiet moments, read a lot of books while the baby naps on me, and try really, really hard to let everything else go. &nbsp;The one good thing is that I've been pretty good at saying no to volunteer activities and not feeling terribly guilty about it. &nbsp;It's hard for me, but I feel like time continues to slip by and my days of the baby napping on me are numbered. &nbsp;So if you're looking for me, I'll be on the couch, cuddling a baby, and reading a good book. <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aSOYO_l3Ob4/VT5V1XoWdRI/AAAAAAAADNc/5xX5_MLveDo/s1600/IMG_9449.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aSOYO_l3Ob4/VT5V1XoWdRI/AAAAAAAADNc/5xX5_MLveDo/s1600/IMG_9449.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sporting a beautiful hat</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iH4jpcYJBJQ/VT5V39g8VGI/AAAAAAAADNk/LhkyVJT0jXg/s1600/IMG_9614.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iH4jpcYJBJQ/VT5V39g8VGI/AAAAAAAADNk/LhkyVJT0jXg/s1600/IMG_9614.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Love this sweetness</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JSwV0llXaFg/VT5V7BRWDNI/AAAAAAAADNs/GJjecTGb5JI/s1600/IMG_9618.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JSwV0llXaFg/VT5V7BRWDNI/AAAAAAAADNs/GJjecTGb5JI/s1600/IMG_9618.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I actually managed to get all 4 kids in green for St. Patrick's Day.<br />It will probably never happen again.</td></tr></tbody></table><br />http://thediscombobulatedmommy.blogspot.com/2015/04/the-bean-at-5-months-old.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (The Discombobulated Mommy)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2762661178381746673.post-2677514682377450562Wed, 08 Apr 2015 00:56:00 +00002015-04-07T20:58:30.279-04:004 months oldBeanBean is 4 months old<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LvRRhsnm0aI/VSR76TTevgI/AAAAAAAADMU/E7N19odSHpk/s1600/IMG_9357.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LvRRhsnm0aI/VSR76TTevgI/AAAAAAAADMU/E7N19odSHpk/s1600/IMG_9357.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>I can't believe I forgot to post Bean's 4 month update. &nbsp;She continues to grow healthy and strong. The doctor says that she is lean and tall and to hold off on solids until 6 months since she is doing a fantastic job with nursing. &nbsp;I think she is in the 90th percentile for height and the 19th percentile for weight. &nbsp;Bean is quite the trooper and goes on all of my errands with me. &nbsp;We have found, though, that as a result, she does not nap. &nbsp;She'll take cat naps in her carrier, but she is utterly exhausted by dinner time and inconsolable. The child needs a real nap in her crib. At this stage she is learning to sit in the Bumbo and will do it for a short amount of time. She will play on her playmat, but prefers if her siblings are nearby. &nbsp;If they play near her, she'll stay there longer without crying to be picked up. She is still the favorite sibling among the older kids. <br /><br /><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GuYvrBp3r7I/VSR7_yPfcxI/AAAAAAAADMw/6E5zv9QjGIo/s1600/IMG_9375.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GuYvrBp3r7I/VSR7_yPfcxI/AAAAAAAADMw/6E5zv9QjGIo/s1600/IMG_9375.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bean loves hanging out in the Bumbo.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-G-yHcQpEH0o/VSR78uuPZSI/AAAAAAAADMk/pqbJv-7yeJ4/s1600/IMG_9353.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-G-yHcQpEH0o/VSR78uuPZSI/AAAAAAAADMk/pqbJv-7yeJ4/s1600/IMG_9353.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This about sums it up with these two.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-F3wp7BVz_Ns/VSR7-E2UY4I/AAAAAAAADMo/x88Hu2-dOGc/s1600/IMG_9369.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-F3wp7BVz_Ns/VSR7-E2UY4I/AAAAAAAADMo/x88Hu2-dOGc/s1600/IMG_9369.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bean is helping me make her cousin A's blanket.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><br /><br />http://thediscombobulatedmommy.blogspot.com/2015/04/bean-is-4-months-old.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (The Discombobulated Mommy)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2762661178381746673.post-6839595827952479130Wed, 08 Apr 2015 00:36:00 +00002015-04-07T20:36:04.434-04:00BirthdayBirthday partyBoogiecamp Half-bloodCamp JupiterPercy JacksonBoogie is 9!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0ppg8sFyHTA/VSRylVlUq6I/AAAAAAAADKs/yBjcDz851ak/s1600/IMG_0124.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0ppg8sFyHTA/VSRylVlUq6I/AAAAAAAADKs/yBjcDz851ak/s1600/IMG_0124.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">9 Years ago this sweet boy made me a mama.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FfZ9mkvR5Dc/VSM6Gbn3c7I/AAAAAAAADJQ/qjv1g6Uhzv8/s1600/IMG_9764.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FfZ9mkvR5Dc/VSM6Gbn3c7I/AAAAAAAADJQ/qjv1g6Uhzv8/s1600/IMG_9764.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy 9th birthday to my Boogie</td></tr></tbody></table>My sweet Boogie is 9 years old. I can't even believe it. And I'm pretty sure that I didn't post about his last birthday or about his first communion last year. I feel like the last year has been a blur. &nbsp;And I am <i><b>really</b>&nbsp;</i>trying to catch life before it just flies right by me.<br /><br />This year Boogie was invited to celebrate a friend's birthday with a trip to a local museum. The trip just happened to also land on Boogie's birthday. Intrigued with the idea of going to a museum, he excitedly accepted the invitation. However, the closer the date came, the more apprehensive he became. He didn't want his birthday to get lost. &nbsp;So we made a plan to celebrate with his special birthday breakfast and dinner the day before his birthday so that he could enjoy the outing with his friend. We also planned that Daddy would go with him. More than anything in the world, Boogie wants to hang out with his Daddy. So we were able to give him that, and a day at the museum where he geeked it out with his friend. <br /><br />We were fortunate that both his and his sister's soccer games were canceled and we were able to have our traditional birthday breakfast with him. &nbsp;We allowed him to open one of his presents and spent the morning playing "Settlers of Catan" which, by the way, is a game that many of the Green Bay Packers play together. &nbsp;That night we let him choose the restaurant and my parents joined us for dinner. <br /><br />The next day we went to church and right after he and Hubby left with their friends to visit the museum. &nbsp;When they came back exhausted we ordered pizza and Hubby picked up a yummy ice cream cake. &nbsp;And we topped it off with presents. It was awesome. &nbsp;He was thrilled to get his very own tablet. He is an avid reader and it made sense to get him his on tablet where all of his books are in one place and not all over our house. &nbsp;I am happy I can set the timers on it, but he's been pretty compliant on when to give it to us and when to turn it off. &nbsp;This will make packing for our beach vacation a little easier this year. He'll have all of his books at his fingertips.<br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vuJ3YTUlrSM/VSR21f36bMI/AAAAAAAADMA/UIOA-dC-5_A/s1600/IMG_9890.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vuJ3YTUlrSM/VSR21f36bMI/AAAAAAAADMA/UIOA-dC-5_A/s1600/IMG_9890.jpg" height="210" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Camp Half-Blood versus Camp Jupiter</td></tr></tbody></table><br />We celebrated with a birthday party with friends today. &nbsp;Boogie finally decided on a Camp Half-Blood birthday party. &nbsp;Anybody who has read Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson series will understand the reference. &nbsp;With the help of Boogie's godmother, I made Camp Half-Blood and Camp Jupiter t-shirts. Hubby organized the games between the two camps. Boogie's godmother came to the rescue to help me clean the house because I realized that having a nursing infant makes it really, really difficult to get anything done in a timely manner. Thank you, A! &nbsp;We served camp food: hot dogs, hamburgers, watermelon, and lemonade. &nbsp;Almost all of the friends that we were invited were able to come. &nbsp;It was a lot of fun. Most of all Boogie had a great time. Hubby was pretty amazing getting everything coordinated for the games and I am very grateful he took the day off so he could help out with the birthday party during spring break.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FbyTuiK6I9I/VSR22NMZ-oI/AAAAAAAADME/RcejK2htvlE/s1600/IMG_9894.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FbyTuiK6I9I/VSR22NMZ-oI/AAAAAAAADME/RcejK2htvlE/s1600/IMG_9894.jpg" height="265" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">9 years of friendship for these two campers.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rEstLFDv5fk/VSRyyqtNN2I/AAAAAAAADLs/3-upVB07pnM/s1600/IMG_7224.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rEstLFDv5fk/VSRyyqtNN2I/AAAAAAAADLs/3-upVB07pnM/s1600/IMG_7224.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Boogie with his best friend since birth on his 8th birthday.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mVbMXr-c9jk/VSRyxdFy5OI/AAAAAAAADLk/rzpL7jlwT1s/s1600/IMG_5137.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mVbMXr-c9jk/VSRyxdFy5OI/AAAAAAAADLk/rzpL7jlwT1s/s1600/IMG_5137.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">7th birthday</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AWyoMqRbAsQ/VSRytl4KYbI/AAAAAAAADLU/OK0c3i5sQ2g/s1600/DSC05597.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AWyoMqRbAsQ/VSRytl4KYbI/AAAAAAAADLU/OK0c3i5sQ2g/s1600/DSC05597.jpg" height="320" width="179" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">5th Birthday and excited about dragons.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BnahnBm8q9E/VSRyvejd4LI/AAAAAAAADLc/2AT0H0UtnCI/s1600/IMG_1259.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BnahnBm8q9E/VSRyvejd4LI/AAAAAAAADLc/2AT0H0UtnCI/s1600/IMG_1259.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">6th Birthday</td></tr></tbody></table><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Zgstho4uqkw/VSRysIAlQiI/AAAAAAAADLM/hNTs34RzUNo/s1600/DSC02328.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Zgstho4uqkw/VSRysIAlQiI/AAAAAAAADLM/hNTs34RzUNo/s1600/DSC02328.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">4 and excited about dinosaurs</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: right;"></div><br /><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dN99Tsgf2sI/VSRyqo7AOTI/AAAAAAAADLI/IwZ8y0eSj_w/s1600/IMG_3380.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dN99Tsgf2sI/VSRyqo7AOTI/AAAAAAAADLI/IwZ8y0eSj_w/s1600/IMG_3380.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">3 and still loved trains</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VQl53t78Ki8/VSRypEd4BvI/AAAAAAAADK8/IVypcBCJjUo/s1600/IMG_2017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VQl53t78Ki8/VSRypEd4BvI/AAAAAAAADK8/IVypcBCJjUo/s1600/IMG_2017.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2 years old and almost a big brother</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-id0GYrpR1_A/VSRyni47lwI/AAAAAAAADK0/Jcf_412o3y4/s1600/IMG_1059.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-id0GYrpR1_A/VSRyni47lwI/AAAAAAAADK0/Jcf_412o3y4/s1600/IMG_1059.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1st Birthday and learning to walk</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><div><br /></div>http://thediscombobulatedmommy.blogspot.com/2015/04/boogie-is-9.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (The Discombobulated Mommy)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2762661178381746673.post-562219796008667161Sat, 07 Feb 2015 15:09:00 +00002015-02-07T10:09:49.481-05:003 months oldBeanChristmasChristmas EveThe Bean is 3 Months Old<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SJY_3TD2fsQ/VNYo1sB2W_I/AAAAAAAADH8/2H3MROQxnzg/s1600/IMG_9082.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SJY_3TD2fsQ/VNYo1sB2W_I/AAAAAAAADH8/2H3MROQxnzg/s1600/IMG_9082.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>With each of the kids I came up with a nickname. Before The Bean was born I threw some names out there. We thought Boo and I really liked Batty taken from the series <i>The Penderwick Sisters. </i>They were cute, but none seemed to take. &nbsp;Then while checking out our precious girl the lactation consultant called her bean and well it stuck. She has become The Bean. &nbsp;Even the kids call her The Bean. "Hi Mama, how's The Bean?" &nbsp;So after 3 months, we have finally found a nickname that sticks.<br /><div><br /></div><div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--_HI_Uq5kug/VNYnp8lhM6I/AAAAAAAADHA/-iuB6Kbf7qI/s1600/IMG_8669.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--_HI_Uq5kug/VNYnp8lhM6I/AAAAAAAADHA/-iuB6Kbf7qI/s1600/IMG_8669.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A friend gave Bean this adorable hat</td></tr></tbody></table>I still like to sing her full name to her because she gives me the most beautiful smile. &nbsp;We refer to her by her nickname E., but more often than not she has become The Bean. &nbsp;And we love it. &nbsp;</div><div><br /></div><div>She is growing so quickly. &nbsp;She is starting to outgrow her first set of outfits and the more I try to savor her littleness, her infancy, our snuggles she seems to grow even faster. The more I want to slow down time, the faster it goes. <br /><br />The Bean is a trooper. The poor girl does not get a set nap schedule because of her siblings' schedules. As a result she often naps in her carrier while she is being carted hither and yon. &nbsp;She spends her mornings at the gym with me after we drop off the kids at their schools and her afternoons in the stroller picking them up at school. It's winter and it doesn't make sense for me to drive the half mile to the school because I have to get out of the car with the two little kids to pick up the big kids. &nbsp;So more often than not I bundle us all up really well and the little kids and I walk to pick up the big kids. &nbsp;There are days where I will put The Bean in a front carrier and then put one of my husbands fleece jacket over us and zip her in. &nbsp;She likes it, it keeps us both warm, and I get a workout. &nbsp;If it's particularly windy she blinks her eyes like an owl when we finally make it indoors.<br /><br />We finally have a formal family picture of the six of us. &nbsp;I was not thinking ahead and put the flowered headband on the wrong side of her head and when you see our picture, Bean's face is obscured. Even so you can tell she is screaming her head off in the picture. I still really like the picture and you know what? It's real. This is life. Screaming babies and goofy kids.<br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DsJktqH7pR8/VNYnwehipmI/AAAAAAAADHo/Z_01ZJCzAIs/s1600/IMG_8687_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DsJktqH7pR8/VNYnwehipmI/AAAAAAAADHo/Z_01ZJCzAIs/s1600/IMG_8687_2.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christmas Eve</td></tr></tbody></table>Christmas day was fun for me. &nbsp;I loved having a newborn in the house for Christmas. While she won't really appreciate it until next year, I still enjoyed putting up her new ornaments, having Buggy help in choosing the The Bean's stocking, and having a sweet morning with my favorite people. We spent the night before at my SIL's house for our annual Christmas Eve open house and mass after. &nbsp;It truly is one of my most favorite family gatherings. &nbsp;This year Hubby and I hosted our families for Christmas. It was a little nutty after just having a baby, but I love a full house during the holidays. My husband makes our families sing for dessert and we all joined in for the 12 Days of Christmas. &nbsp;Again, I love having a newborn in the festivities. It's also a nice reminder of how Mary might have felt when welcoming her son, Jesus, into the world. &nbsp;The newness of life, the celebration to come.<br /><br />We're still working on schedules and the kids have been really good about trying to sit with her while I make dinner. Even though I have been through this 3 times before, I'm still trying to find a routine that works with us. &nbsp;It's slowly happening, but life is unpredictable and life with 4 kids is really unpredictable, but we just keep swimming.<br /><br /><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yalAg4CXVfI/VNYnriGxJTI/AAAAAAAADHI/9g0YZsk3Vo4/s1600/IMG_8670.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yalAg4CXVfI/VNYnriGxJTI/AAAAAAAADHI/9g0YZsk3Vo4/s1600/IMG_8670.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another adorable hat for The Bean</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rDsO513DC78/VNYnsTLVdfI/AAAAAAAADHQ/RQxduNwd9pY/s1600/IMG_8676.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rDsO513DC78/VNYnsTLVdfI/AAAAAAAADHQ/RQxduNwd9pY/s1600/IMG_8676.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My favorite thing to do with her. I love having her sleep on my chest</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BxYK-2MmJ48/VNYntsA4DEI/AAAAAAAADHY/5E-UsCFh2AA/s1600/IMG_8677.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BxYK-2MmJ48/VNYntsA4DEI/AAAAAAAADHY/5E-UsCFh2AA/s1600/IMG_8677.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Epita and The Bean checking each other out</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-znmweo76b_8/VNYnuz9ws0I/AAAAAAAADHg/d2tM9d4bndY/s1600/IMG_8680.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-znmweo76b_8/VNYnuz9ws0I/AAAAAAAADHg/d2tM9d4bndY/s1600/IMG_8680.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Epita with The Bean</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hRwAItETdoo/VNYnzuDjhRI/AAAAAAAADHw/dgIs-3GJoL8/s1600/IMG_8690.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hRwAItETdoo/VNYnzuDjhRI/AAAAAAAADHw/dgIs-3GJoL8/s1600/IMG_8690.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christmas Eve at my SIL's house.<br />This is just a sampling of the awesomeness of having 22 grandchildren in one house</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UH-N6o3Boco/VNYo1vZLxhI/AAAAAAAADIA/bJmuzSdZilo/s1600/IMG_9075.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UH-N6o3Boco/VNYo1vZLxhI/AAAAAAAADIA/bJmuzSdZilo/s1600/IMG_9075.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hubby displaying his handiwork.<br />He done good.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /></div>http://thediscombobulatedmommy.blogspot.com/2015/02/the-bean-is-3-months-old.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (The Discombobulated Mommy)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2762661178381746673.post-2529949610781726768Wed, 28 Jan 2015 19:11:00 +00002015-02-02T16:59:38.777-05:002 months oldBean2 months Old<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OggetBlmk4I/VMkyzdp9FqI/AAAAAAAADGk/gUH63XmapSY/s1600/IMG_8666_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OggetBlmk4I/VMkyzdp9FqI/AAAAAAAADGk/gUH63XmapSY/s1600/IMG_8666_2.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Our sweet little girl turned two months old. She weighed in at 10 pounds and and had grown another 1/2 inch. She was 15% for weight and 79% percentile for height. She is tall and skinny with the chubbiest of cheeks. &nbsp;I was happy that she had gained weight. There was a lot of concern at her two week check up that she had dropped a pound since birth so we were on a rigorous schedule for pumping and nursing. I was so happy she showed growth at her 2 month appointment so that we could resume a regular nursing schedule without the additional pumping. It also meant that Mama got to sleep a little more. I took more naps with our little bean and we both relaxed into a good feeding/napping schedule.<br /><br />She is doing so well and smiles whenever we smile at her, talk to her, or sing to her. &nbsp;Mr. Bananas adores her more than ever. &nbsp;He is constantly by her side. &nbsp;When we get into our van he wants to check on her before he gets into his seat. At church he wants to sit next to her and hold her hand. He is her greatest fan. I hope it is something that continues for years to come. He has really enjoyed his big brother role. I thought that there would be some jealousy, but no. He loves her too much to be jealous. It reminds me of when he was born our Buggy took over a maternal role when it came to him. Buggy is still pretty protective and helpful when it comes to Mr. Bananas. She has been a good role model for him and he is enjoying his new role. <br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uKCBe8FvIyA/VMkyxYke75I/AAAAAAAADGc/ODbJEXcho2E/s1600/IMG_8638.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uKCBe8FvIyA/VMkyxYke75I/AAAAAAAADGc/ODbJEXcho2E/s1600/IMG_8638.jpg" height="197" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bean's Baptism</td></tr></tbody></table>Our little girl enjoyed her first Christmas. &nbsp;We received a beautiful photo album from one of her aunts filled with pictures of her baptism. I had forgotten my phone and could not take any pictures. Thanks to my sister in law and my best friend, I have some pictures to remind me of the day of her baptism. My father-in-law was able to perform the baptism at our church. He proudly told the congregation that he was baptizing his 22nd grandchild. &nbsp;Beans's godparents are her aunt L. whom she is named after and her uncle E. &nbsp;We are blessed that they agreed to be her godparents.<br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JsHyJYHkrvw/VMkyty_YFjI/AAAAAAAADGM/2BO135uDM2Q/s1600/IMG_8526.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JsHyJYHkrvw/VMkyty_YFjI/AAAAAAAADGM/2BO135uDM2Q/s1600/IMG_8526.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of my former students stopped by to<br />visit with Bean.</td></tr></tbody></table>I was touched by the number of family and friends that shared our special day with us. One of my very best friends from school traveled from a state away to join us for Bean's baptism. &nbsp;After the baptism we invited everyone to our house. I invited quite a few people to our house to celebrate. But like the parable of the loaves and the fish, God provided and we had enough food and room to accommodate everyone. <br /><br />So many friends have come by to visit Bean in her first couple of months of life. I am so blessed by their presence in our lives. We are humbled by their love and friendship. <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cFZ9IYnFt6g/VMkysDAf66I/AAAAAAAADGE/Nd26j1p9GUU/s1600/IMG_8522.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cFZ9IYnFt6g/VMkysDAf66I/AAAAAAAADGE/Nd26j1p9GUU/s1600/IMG_8522.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sweet dreams</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0Z6VRbRs0RU/VMkyvnzcwaI/AAAAAAAADGU/wJh3dyPmGwk/s1600/IMG_8544.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0Z6VRbRs0RU/VMkyvnzcwaI/AAAAAAAADGU/wJh3dyPmGwk/s1600/IMG_8544.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bean snuggling with Mrs. M during our almost weekly breakfast.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DfjjRKIYuzI/VMky1QyrAiI/AAAAAAAADGs/gLI3NOGBU-Y/s1600/IMG_8667.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DfjjRKIYuzI/VMky1QyrAiI/AAAAAAAADGs/gLI3NOGBU-Y/s1600/IMG_8667.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Big sister soothing Baby Sister</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ONOhrVuffps/VMkyqORobLI/AAAAAAAADF8/K0zgFSEJrHA/s1600/IMG_8498.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ONOhrVuffps/VMkyqORobLI/AAAAAAAADF8/K0zgFSEJrHA/s1600/IMG_8498.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Celebrating Lola's birthday</td></tr></tbody></table><br />I am so very blessed to have our newest angel in our lives.<br /><br /><br />http://thediscombobulatedmommy.blogspot.com/2015/01/2-months-old.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (The Discombobulated Mommy)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2762661178381746673.post-8818729065845774491Thu, 08 Jan 2015 19:11:00 +00002015-01-08T14:11:03.304-05:00BeanBoogieBuggyMr. Bananassnow dayBeing PresentHappy New Year! I know that I still have so much to document over the past year and I am missing jotting down the milestones for my kiddos. &nbsp;So much good in their lives has happened and continues to happen. &nbsp;I will continue to try to keep up with them and their accomplishments and challenges.<br /><br />Two days ago the three big kids had an unexpected snow day. &nbsp;After posting on my Facebook Wall about how I love me some snow days a former coworker asked if I had gone back to teaching. &nbsp;The answer is no. I haven't gone back to teaching. Every now and I again when I see something cool happening in my kids' classrooms I feel that pull to go back into the classroom, but it's still not strong enough to pull me away from my everyday life of being the mother of four. &nbsp;I am still enjoying my time home with the kids. With my self-diagnosed ADD (Aren't we all just a little ADD?), I'm surprised that I haven't grown bored with being home. But I haven't. &nbsp;I am thoroughly enjoying this season in my life. &nbsp;My reply to my friend was, "No, I'm not back in the classroom, but find that these snow days are a gift of time with my favorite people." And that's the truth. Yes, we just finished having the kids home for 2 weeks for winter break. &nbsp;But it wasn't enough. &nbsp;As try as we might to have lazy days, things get planned, friends are visited, parties are attended, Christmas and the birth of our Savior are celebrated. &nbsp;There is more downtime than usual, but we remain busy. &nbsp;But a snow day! Now that's something different. Our court is usually the last to get plowed and the roads are usually too messy to go anywhere. So the family hunkers down, reads books, play with legos, drinks hot chocolate, goes out in snow gear to play with the other neighborhood children, and bake cookies. &nbsp;We have no where we HAVE to be and no plans that NEED to be done. &nbsp;It is awesome and a true gift of time.<br /><br />It sounds a little silly that I am grateful for this gift of time. I mean, I stay home full-time, don't I see and spend time with my kids all the time. I mean, isn't my job to be home, available, and present? &nbsp;Well, yes. But too often I am called by the dirty dishes in the sink, dirty clothes that need to be washed, and toys and various items that need to be put away. &nbsp;So while I am available and most of often in the same room with my children, I am not always present. &nbsp;I am busy. With stuff. Like chores. <br /><br />So even though it's been on my New Year's Resolution list for the last two years, I am adding it again. I want to be present. &nbsp;And on this snow day, this gift of time, I was present. &nbsp;I helped Buggy put together her life cycle project. &nbsp;I printed the pictures she needed and helped her type her captions. &nbsp;But she put together her project. &nbsp;I found myself trying to neaten it up and make it clean and straight and I stopped. I put it down. This was <i>her </i>project. Not mine. While she needed my help to obtain the information. This was her project to put together. &nbsp;When I was done with her project, I was able to work on a Lego set with Mr. Bananas. &nbsp;Which actually meant I put it together and he said, "Thank you, Mommy." &nbsp;But we spent time together looking for the pieces and talking. &nbsp;Boogie and I discussed the newest series he is reading. &nbsp;The baby and I made faces at each other and I sang to her and nursed her. &nbsp;I helped the big kids gear up to go out in the snow and then made them quesadillas and hot cocoa for lunch. &nbsp;They had a friend come over to play. &nbsp;I had planned to bake cookies, but that didn't happen. &nbsp;What did happen was time spent together. When my husband came home he looked around the house and said with a smile, &nbsp;"It looks like you had four children home all day." &nbsp;I replied, "Actually it was five and I was present." &nbsp;So the dishes are strewn around the kitchen, the legos are in various parts of the family room, we have just enough clean clothes to get through a day at a time, and there are toys that were taken out and forgotten. But what I have is a sense of peace. Peace that it was a day well spent. A day that for which I am grateful for a little extra time with my favorite people. &nbsp;It was a day free from meltdowns (mine or the kids). &nbsp;The house is still showing a little wear and tear from that snow day. &nbsp;Yesterday was a two hour delay and instead of picking up the house I joined a friend for lunch. &nbsp;Today the three year old is off from school and we ran errands instead. &nbsp;Tomorrow is another day. &nbsp;The 3 big kids will be in school and I will have a little extra time when the baby naps. Or maybe I will take a nap with her and be present.<br /><br />Happy New Year.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c3YgjRBk36s/VK7Urq75x2I/AAAAAAAADEU/rl3R5JJfR7g/s1600/IMG_8667.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c3YgjRBk36s/VK7Urq75x2I/AAAAAAAADEU/rl3R5JJfR7g/s1600/IMG_8667.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My girls</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7OGy2g9YTd0/VK7UyScKOzI/AAAAAAAADEc/QJFmnl9jA_Y/s1600/IMG_8789.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7OGy2g9YTd0/VK7UyScKOzI/AAAAAAAADEc/QJFmnl9jA_Y/s1600/IMG_8789.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My big boy reading</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Jkwpt-1Pccg/VK7U3pQ85hI/AAAAAAAADEk/TmZPthIjsSQ/s1600/IMG_9031.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Jkwpt-1Pccg/VK7U3pQ85hI/AAAAAAAADEk/TmZPthIjsSQ/s1600/IMG_9031.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Silly selfie we sent to daddy during our snow day</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7477wMy5Nns/VK7U-NMseUI/AAAAAAAADEs/P0RrVpwTHF8/s1600/IMG_9038.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7477wMy5Nns/VK7U-NMseUI/AAAAAAAADEs/P0RrVpwTHF8/s1600/IMG_9038.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daddy finding time to be present with his baby girl after a ridiculously long day at work.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2o6J6-mTVxA/VK7VEqUCWDI/AAAAAAAADE0/s0Afkgb4AXI/s1600/IMG_9040.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2o6J6-mTVxA/VK7VEqUCWDI/AAAAAAAADE0/s0Afkgb4AXI/s1600/IMG_9040.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another silly selfie with the two kids who aren't in school.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />http://thediscombobulatedmommy.blogspot.com/2015/01/being-present.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (The Discombobulated Mommy)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2762661178381746673.post-6915280967076845837Fri, 19 Dec 2014 16:12:00 +00002014-12-19T11:12:59.121-05:001 month oldBattyBooBoo at 1 Month<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ryrOcCQZWho/VJRNY64Qs-I/AAAAAAAADD4/fwKZwrCphRs/s1600/IMG_8484.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ryrOcCQZWho/VJRNY64Qs-I/AAAAAAAADD4/fwKZwrCphRs/s1600/IMG_8484.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>Our sweet Boo turned a month old last month. &nbsp;She is very comfortable with loud noise and chaos. I'm sure she heard quite a bit of it while she was in the womb and it doesn't faze her now. &nbsp;Her biggest champions are her siblings. &nbsp;I am so happy that they included her without any problem. Maybe that's what happens with the fourth child. &nbsp;The older two are accustomed to adding another member of the family and the once-youngest follows suit. &nbsp;I must say though that Mr. Bananas is clearly her biggest fan. &nbsp;He is often found sitting next to her, loving on her, and touching her. &nbsp;Mr. Bananas is in preschool and with it, unfortunately, come preschool germs. &nbsp;Our little Boo toughed out two colds in her first month of life. &nbsp;Full on congestion and coughing. It sounded so pitiful. &nbsp;But I think she is tougher for it. &nbsp;On her one month birthday, this little beauty found her thumb so she could self-sooth. <br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SLVMf8i6m5Q/VJRMDm0NdfI/AAAAAAAADDY/YSMtPID0nlg/s1600/IMG_8332.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SLVMf8i6m5Q/VJRMDm0NdfI/AAAAAAAADDY/YSMtPID0nlg/s1600/IMG_8332.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Buggy holding her sister as we wait<br />for the lactation consultant.</td></tr></tbody></table>I also spent the first month of her life getting her back up to birth weight. &nbsp;We have a fabulous pediatrician, but when it comes to weight, she is incredibly cautious. &nbsp;Therefore, Boo and I spent week after week with the lactation consultant weighing her, feeding her, and weighing her again. Her birthweight was 8 lbs 12.6 oz and by <br />the time we made it for her 2 day appointment after leaving the hospital she was down a pound and had some trouble bringing it back up. Most of the time she would rather sleep than eat. &nbsp;But as the weeks went on, our little champ began slowly eating more and making her way up to birthweight. <br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"></div>I cannot even begin to share how much joy she brings to our family. &nbsp;Buggy is so excited to begin picking out her stocking and toys for Christmas. &nbsp;Bananas is thrilled to be a big brother and there is no jealousy in his demeanor. Boo really is <i>his</i>&nbsp;baby and joyfully shares his good fortune by telling everyone about his baby sister. &nbsp;Boogie even has a hand and has realized that reading to her is something he can do and can do well. He is still too nervous to hold her, he doesn't want to drop her. But sitting on the couch with her on his lap is just his speed. It is a joy to hear him read to her and to watch the other children gather around him. &nbsp;We are so blessed.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tZc2jx5hqrw/VJRMfsaYwJI/AAAAAAAADDg/A2AxU9VSTD8/s1600/IMG_8360.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tZc2jx5hqrw/VJRMfsaYwJI/AAAAAAAADDg/A2AxU9VSTD8/s1600/IMG_8360.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mr. Bananas doting and cuddling his baby sister.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tCWzxNAKBlo/VJRNw21rj_I/AAAAAAAADEA/PwOx061-Sew/s1600/IMG_8476.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tCWzxNAKBlo/VJRNw21rj_I/AAAAAAAADEA/PwOx061-Sew/s1600/IMG_8476.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She found her thumb on her one month birthday.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /> <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6BasKmDiQJQ/VJRM12PZRsI/AAAAAAAADDo/SVymrVshef0/s1600/IMG_8460.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6BasKmDiQJQ/VJRM12PZRsI/AAAAAAAADDo/SVymrVshef0/s1600/IMG_8460.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This says it all. My biggest boy doing something he loves, reading to his baby sister.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1QOGIf34-A4/VJRNHvzd55I/AAAAAAAADDw/QNBhLbqv1mw/s1600/IMG_8407.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1QOGIf34-A4/VJRNHvzd55I/AAAAAAAADDw/QNBhLbqv1mw/s1600/IMG_8407.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She was sooooo little! &nbsp;Hanging out with Daddy at 2 1/2 weeks old.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><div><br /></div>http://thediscombobulatedmommy.blogspot.com/2014/12/boo-at-1-month.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (The Discombobulated Mommy)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2762661178381746673.post-1433646194132758974Sat, 15 Nov 2014 23:08:00 +00002014-11-15T18:09:39.779-05:00Baby #4Battylabor and deliveryWelcome to the World Baby BattyI have not blogged in the last year between taking a writing class, volunteering again as the kids Flipper rep for swim team, and being pregnant. The whole being pregnant thing made me so tired. &nbsp;I think it's my advanced age. I hit advanced maternal age status with this pregnancy or as my doctor wrote on my health summaries "elderly." Bah. Elderly. This "elderly" woman ran 2 half marathons last year. <br /><br />It was fortunately a fairly uneventful pregnancy. The first trimester was hard between the exhaustion and the morning sickness, but after the morning sickness subsided it was the easiest of my four pregnancies. &nbsp;I ran up through my 7th month of pregnancy and walked until the very end. &nbsp;I was definitely more tired this time around, but with the kids being older and being in school and with the help of some friends, I was able to nap often.<br /><br />Hubby and I were thrilled to find out we were having another girl. Heck, we would have been happy to hear we were having another boy. We were just flat out happy. &nbsp;But having 2 boys and 2 girls is kind of cool. &nbsp;Everyone has a partner and there are two of each. <br /><br />Just as with the other pregnancies, I was not dilated or effaced until I actually went into labor. &nbsp;The OB tried to strip my membranes and she said I was too high and I wasn't open. No surprise. &nbsp;I was kind of hoping with all my walking and running that I would be more "ready" but my body decided that yet again my water would break at home. I am part of the 15% whose water breaks before labor. However, I have been really lucky that each of three times that my water broke at home, I happened to be in the bathroom. With Buggy, my water broke in the hospital while I was in labor. So not bad, right?<br /><br />On Friday, October 17th I was having date night with Mr. Bananas. Hubby and the big kids were at soccer practice and Mr. Bananas and I were watching UP for date night. &nbsp;Halfway through the movie at 6:15pm I went to the bathroom and my water broke. &nbsp;So there I was stuck in the bathroom with a three year old in the next room watching a movie. I called him to bring me my cell phone. He did and said, "Are you coming out Mommy." "Nope, Sweetheart. Mommy is going to be in here for a while." <br /><br />I called the doctor's office and the advice nurse asked me the routine questions. Since I was not freaking out, my ruptured water was clear, and I was not in labor it was pretty straight forward. &nbsp;They wanted me to come in. &nbsp;I called Hubby and asked him if he was ready to have a baby. He said "Yes" left the big kids with the assistant coach to finish practice, and he came home. In the meantime I called my parents to pick up the kids at practice and to pick up my youngest who was home with me.<br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OMKDOTIjH4w/VGfZyII8uBI/AAAAAAAADCc/qrV1r4aVctg/s1600/IMG_8129.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OMKDOTIjH4w/VGfZyII8uBI/AAAAAAAADCc/qrV1r4aVctg/s1600/IMG_8129.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Last pregnancy picture before going to the hospital</td></tr></tbody></table>While I waited for my folks I finished packing for myself and packing for the kids to stay with them for the night. &nbsp;My routine before going to the hospital has always been to take a shower and take pictures of my big pregnancy belly. &nbsp;It's easy to do when you are in the middle of labor. With 3 of the 4 I was not in labor. I even did it when I was in early labor with Buggy. &nbsp;However, this being our fourth baby my husband was nervous about us making it in time. He finally got me out of the house 2 hours after my water broke. &nbsp;We did stop by my parents house so that I could kiss the big kids. &nbsp;Buggy was nervous and gave me lots of hugs and kisses before I left. I felt it was important to see the kids before I had their sibling.<br /><br />On our way to the hospital the contractions really started hit and they were strong. &nbsp;At one point traffic was at a stand still and we became nervous. But we made it to the hospital by 9 o'clock. The poor receptionists saw me coming in and immediately went to get a wheel chair. &nbsp;I desperately had to use the bathroom again and waved them off. &nbsp;When I made made to the receptionists they asked if any one was there to help me. They were relieved to hear my husband was parking the car and would be in shortly. I made it to labor and delivery and by 10pm the doctor saw me. I was already 4cm and 50% effaced. Much &nbsp;further along than I had been with any pregnancy by the time the doctors saw me.<br />I had waited to contact Hubby's sister and my BFF J who were going to coach me through my labor. I waited so long because depending on the room availability I have had to wait, sometimes for hours, before I was taken to a Labor and Delivery room. &nbsp;I didn't want them to have to wait with me for hours. But once we were settled we let them know. &nbsp;I had asked Hubby's sister to join us for this experience because 1) she was awesome in helping me when Mr. Bananas was born and 2) we named our newest daughter after her. &nbsp; &nbsp;I had asked my BFF J to join us because she was studying to be a doula, she was already a L&amp;D nurse, and I just thought it would be a blessing to have her join us.<br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SVJ4AheCbk0/VGfaiKBDCqI/AAAAAAAADC0/PTtomR0_D1M/s1600/IMG_8141.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SVJ4AheCbk0/VGfaiKBDCqI/AAAAAAAADC0/PTtomR0_D1M/s1600/IMG_8141.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">L and J helped to bring this beautiful baby into the world</td></tr></tbody></table>One of a woman's most vulnerable moments is when she is in labor and delivering a baby. You are in pain, you are gross with sweat and blood and possibly other bodily fluids, and you may not be in the best mood. &nbsp;Pick your coaches wisely. &nbsp;For me, I knew that my husband and his sister could communicate effectively and they each provided comfort. L. having delivered 5 babies herself knew what I needed without asking. &nbsp;Hubby can read me pretty well and can also provide me comfort without me asking. . And J. having delivered 4 babies herself and having helped in countless deliveries being as an L&amp;D nurse and having known me for the last 18 years (what?!?) knew me really well. &nbsp;I knew I had an excellent coaching team when my contractions became strong and I stopped chatting, they also stopped chatting and each person either rubbed my leg through the contraction, gave me breathing advice, and one person provided a hand for me to push against. &nbsp;I never had to ask for just about anything. &nbsp;They could just read me and provide me some type of comfort or encouragement.<br /><br />I had gone into this delivery thinking that without a doubt I would an epidural. Whereas I had gone into the first 3 hoping to deliver without being medicated. &nbsp;I never got very far. With Boogie I was on pitocin, 5cm, and exhausted by the time I <strike>asked</strike>&nbsp;begged for an epidural. &nbsp;I had been in labor for about 24 hours and couldn't do it any longer. &nbsp;With Buggy, her labor was only 12 hours by the time I delivered and I had gone 3 or 4cm by the time I asked for an epidural. &nbsp;I think the same was for Mr. Bananas. I remember the nurse becoming frustrated because I kept unhooking myself from the monitoring strap to use the bathroom which was just about every contraction. She finally said, "If you are going to get the epidural, can we go ahead and do it? You keep undoing the monitoring strap and I'm almost off shift." So I did. <br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sUmtjdNhjZk/VGfa7dFTTNI/AAAAAAAADC8/05PsSoPLNPo/s1600/IMG_8143.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sUmtjdNhjZk/VGfa7dFTTNI/AAAAAAAADC8/05PsSoPLNPo/s1600/IMG_8143.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A most excellent coaching team.</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;"></div><br />&nbsp;When I was told that I was 4cm and 50% effaced with Batty I still felt pretty good and in control so I held off on asking for the epidural. I had plans to walk which were nixed because the doctor was concerned about cord prolapse since my water had broken. She was going to allow me to bounce on a ball, but by the time the birthing ball came in I was in too much pain through each contraction to want to get off the bed. &nbsp;By 11pm I finally asked for an epidural. &nbsp;By 11:40 I started wonder where it was. &nbsp;I got off the bed to use the bathroom with Hubby's help. Unfortunately, while I was sitting there I told him I felt the urge to push. My husband is pretty calm through my labors, but at that moment he opened the door to the bathroom, walked out, and looked at J. He was very concerned about my urge to push. &nbsp;J. came in and said, "What's wrong?" &nbsp;I complained that I was having trouble urinating and that I felt the urge to push. &nbsp;She said the baby might be pushing and blocking the path. With their help I came back to bed. &nbsp;She left the strap off and the alarm to go off so that a nurse would check me. It took some time for the nurse to check me. By that time the contractions were very strong and long. &nbsp;She checked me and I was 8cm and still high. I thought for sure they would make me labor longer so I asked about my epidural. &nbsp;She said she didn't think it would come in time. &nbsp;I looked at L. and said, "I <i>cannot</i>&nbsp;do this" and she said, "Yes, you can, and you already are." &nbsp;My poor L&amp;D nurse was being berated by her Head nurse about why they didn't call the doctor in sooner. &nbsp;They started to prep themselves for my delivery. I know I asked L. and J. several times what we would do if the doctor didn't show up and they kept saying they would deliver the baby for me. Here's the thing, there is no doubt that they could have done it, but I know how messy delivery is and I kept looking at their clean clothing and thinking, they cannot get messy in this, their clothes look too pretty. But I knew they would have done it. &nbsp;J. told me that I was going through the hardest part right then with the contractions. Then L. looked at her and said, "Well except the ring of fire." J: "Right, the right of fire." &nbsp;I knew I was going to have to push soon because I felt that ring of fire as they were discussing it. &nbsp;That freaked me out a little.<br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aWnCRoDsoBw/VGfaFw_UU5I/AAAAAAAADCk/O2TFEtL2oGo/s1600/IMG_8134.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aWnCRoDsoBw/VGfaFw_UU5I/AAAAAAAADCk/O2TFEtL2oGo/s1600/IMG_8134.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here she is:<br />8lbs 12.6oz<br />21 inches<br />12:22am</td></tr></tbody></table>By the time the doctor showed up, there were 4 nurses in my room, plus my coaching team. &nbsp;Do you know that it is really difficult to keep your legs loose and to the side during a contraction without an epidural? My doctor kept pushing my legs down saying, "Loosen up, loosen up." &nbsp;I was like, what? Loosen up? Do you know how much this hurts???? &nbsp;They had me grab my own legs to push. &nbsp;I know that I had my eyes shut for most of it. I was asked by one of the nurses to stop yelling. Later, L. and J. said that the nurse was trying to concentrate the energy into pushing. &nbsp;At one point the doctor asked me to stop and take two slow breaths. &nbsp;I did, eyes tightly shut, and later I found out that the cord was around Batty's neck and she needed me to stop pushing so that she could safely remove the cord. &nbsp;I think in 3 pushes my beautiful baby was out. &nbsp;They put her on my chest, whipped her off when she hadn't cried yet, but as soon as they did, they gave her to me. &nbsp;Hubby cut the cord, I delivered the placenta, and the doctor stitched me. Here, I delivered this beautiful 8lb 12.6oz, 21 inch baby at 12:22am without medication and I completely balked at the numbing shot before I was stitched. Ridiculous. &nbsp;But I think that my nether regions had been through so much trauma, the thought of more, no matter how minor, was too much for me to bear. &nbsp;To keep my mind off the stitching and lidocaine shot, J. showed me the pictures she had taken. It was perfect. Just the distraction I needed. &nbsp;I couldn't stop shaking after everything as the hormones were leveling out. &nbsp;I finally managed to get off the bed to try to use the bathroom. I left bloody footprints and it looked like a scene from The Walking Dead. Seriously, delivery is a messy business. <br /><br />My poor baby was so bruised that her cheeks were big and purple. &nbsp;She would have probably weighed around 9lbs but she pooped her way out into the world and it was a lot of poop. &nbsp;She was so chunky and had a great head of hair. And she was perfect.<br /><br />As the nurses cleaned up the mess and debris, the doctor left to deliver another baby, as my coaches were winding down from the high of having helped deliver a baby, I was in awe. I was in awe that I delivered this beautiful baby. &nbsp;I was grateful for L. and J. helping Hubby. I was in awe that I did something that I never thought possible and delivered a baby without being medicated. &nbsp;I always wanted to be able to do an unmedicated birth and wasn't strong enough or felt I could handle the pain enough. &nbsp;It was an elusive club and I was in awe of the women who were able to do it. &nbsp;Especially my sister in law and best friend. They made it look so easy. &nbsp;But I did it and with my last delivery I joined the "Ring of Fire" club and it was amazing.<br /><br /><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7yb_1T1y8fY/VGfaXd_Q9WI/AAAAAAAADCs/zAPSg_-CCAw/s1600/IMG_8138.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7yb_1T1y8fY/VGfaXd_Q9WI/AAAAAAAADCs/zAPSg_-CCAw/s1600/IMG_8138.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Welcoming Baby #4 to our family</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CZZVH4SomPQ/VGfbdETuf2I/AAAAAAAADDE/L0C-MGn8qVk/s1600/IMG_8146.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CZZVH4SomPQ/VGfbdETuf2I/AAAAAAAADDE/L0C-MGn8qVk/s1600/IMG_8146.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">L. with her namesake.</td></tr></tbody></table>http://thediscombobulatedmommy.blogspot.com/2014/11/welcome-to-world-baby-batty.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (The Discombobulated Mommy)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2762661178381746673.post-6894428050680793785Wed, 20 Aug 2014 01:06:00 +00002014-08-19T21:06:03.901-04:0031 weeksBaby #4Pregnancy31 Weeks Pregnant<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-b8NrzLQiwzs/U_PzwbvMK4I/AAAAAAAADCE/vzd4bbqp3IY/s1600/IMG_7897.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-b8NrzLQiwzs/U_PzwbvMK4I/AAAAAAAADCE/vzd4bbqp3IY/s1600/IMG_7897.jpg" height="320" width="284" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">30 weeks pregnant at the beach</td></tr></tbody></table>We are 31 weeks pregnant with baby #4 and I can't believe the time has absolutely flown by. &nbsp;I cried when I heard her first heartbeats. I was so excited that she was viable, that our baby was really there. I had a scare with the last baby and I thought I would lose him. &nbsp;He stayed and he was born and he is now a downright delightful 3 year old. &nbsp;Now we have baby #4 growing and getting stronger every day.<br /><br />There are so many thoughts running through my head. One of them being, I wish I had blogged, posted, journaled throughout this pregnancy. But quite honestly, I was downright exhausted from the get go. &nbsp;The first trimester was tough with the morning sickness and the exhaustion. &nbsp;I was thrilled when the morning sickness did not last as long as it had with Mr. Bananas. &nbsp;I think it was only 13 weeks of sickness. &nbsp;Most of the first trimester are a blur of being sick and taking naps.<br /><br />The second trimester was busy. I was Flipper rep again for our local swim team and spent endless hours at the pool. &nbsp;I was too busy to be sick and to notice the exhaustion, although I treated myself to a nap every afternoon after lunch. My children made do with PBS while Mama napped on the couch. They were troopers. They also learned a bit of independence getting themselves snacks while Mama napped.<br /><br />I continued to run as long as I could hoping to run throughout this pregnancy. &nbsp;I did pretty well until about 6 months along where I had to definitely switch it to walking intervals. Whenever there was a spurt of energy I ran for a minute. &nbsp;Overall, I feel really good this pregnancy. Even though the first trimester was probably the roughest of all four pregnancies, the second and third trimesters I have felt pretty good. &nbsp;I'm still exercising and I'm still moving around pretty well. I've dealt with a lot of swelling with my feet and the doctor's recommendation was: &nbsp;stay off my feet, stay out of the sun, drink more water. &nbsp;This was difficult to do while on the pool deck. I was constantly moving around speaking with parents, asking coaches questions, and well, I was in the sun. But if that is my biggest complaint all pregnancy, then I'd say I'm doing pretty well.<br /><br />We do have a name and have had picked it out since the last baby was born in the hopes of having one more and in the hopes of having another girl. &nbsp;We do not have a middle name yet, but I'm going through names I like and I will give Buggy a list of 3 or 4 names to choose from and let her pick out her sister's name. Boogie picked Mr. Bananas' middle name and we'll let Buggy choose one for Baby Batty. <br /><br />We've had fun speculating on her hair color and eye color. &nbsp;The kids are excited and every once in a while Mr. B. will look down the neck of my shirt and say, "I love you, Baby." &nbsp;Boogie who is not much of a snuggler will hug me and say into my belly, "Hello Baby, it's me your big brother." <br /><br />Buggy had a rougher time when she found out we were having a girl. &nbsp;Right before we found out we were having another daughter she said, "I want to be the only girl." She was struggling to find a place in her changing world. I am happy to say that she has recovered and she is really looking forward to being a big sister. It was a big help that our babysitter took Bugs under her wing and told her that she loved her like a little sister and we were able to say, "Coach A. doesn't have any sisters and all the cool things she does with you, you can do with your baby sister." &nbsp;Coach A. even had Buggy over for a tea one day and it was just the big girls. &nbsp;I am grateful and love our babysitter/swim coach that much more. &nbsp;Another big step for Buggy was that one of the Big Team coaches on swim team put Buggy in her first swim meet and she had to swim across the pool all by herself. &nbsp;He really asked her out of desperation because we were trying to fill lanes. But in the end it worked out for everyone. She earned points for the team at every swim meet and she felt like one of the big kids. &nbsp;His need for an extra swimmer built up her confidence and she was ready to accept a big girl role and is now ready for a baby sister.<br /><br />Hubby and I could not be more excited. &nbsp;We were hoping for one more baby and we are blessed that we will have one in a little over 2 months. Yikes! &nbsp;It is bittersweet that I am starting to give away our boy clothes. I am happy to be able to give away things that I have been saving for 8 years, but on the other hand, it means that this may be it for us. &nbsp;I am desperately trying to savor this pregnancy and it is flying by. Part of me can't wait to hold her, especially as she pushes on my bladder, periodically suffer from insomnia, can't run like I want, and the pull of exhaustion is great. &nbsp;But I'm not foolish. At least I'm not up every 3 hours, my breasts aren't leaking (yet) with milk, and right now she is pretty portable. &nbsp;I look forward to seeing her sweet face and having one more to add to our beautiful family. 9 weeks to go!<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CxwswzRYDMw/U_PyNcTtEYI/AAAAAAAADBo/7KvLHtmTaHQ/s1600/IMG_7308.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CxwswzRYDMw/U_PyNcTtEYI/AAAAAAAADBo/7KvLHtmTaHQ/s1600/IMG_7308.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Easter 2014: 11 weeks pregnant</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MtKgUlxbLkg/U_PyZ9pg4LI/AAAAAAAADB4/AyLCF9kGgpI/s1600/IMG_7325.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MtKgUlxbLkg/U_PyZ9pg4LI/AAAAAAAADB4/AyLCF9kGgpI/s1600/IMG_7325.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Best friend and I pregnant with our fourth babies.<br />I'm about 12 weeks pregnant and I think she is about 20 weeks pregnant.<br />She's having a boy an I am having a girl!</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5oI3kiJe1hk/U_PyVMewPNI/AAAAAAAADBw/W2AS9bdAaWU/s1600/IMG_7368.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5oI3kiJe1hk/U_PyVMewPNI/AAAAAAAADBw/W2AS9bdAaWU/s1600/IMG_7368.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">14 weeks pregnant and still running</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br />http://thediscombobulatedmommy.blogspot.com/2014/08/31-weeks-pregnant.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (The Discombobulated Mommy)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2762661178381746673.post-748730136583750106Wed, 30 Jul 2014 15:27:00 +00002014-07-30T11:27:27.704-04:00BoogieBuggyFamilyMr. Bananas6 month RecapIt's been some time since I last posted. I can't believe where the time has gone. Since I have been absent in the blogging world so much has happened:<br /><br />I took a creative writing class and learned that writing is one of my callings and I just wish I had more time for it. &nbsp;I loved the professor and I loved the class and I am looking forward to taking another in another year or so.<br /><br />My husband and I found out on Valentine's day that we were indeed expecting our fourth child. We are ecstatic! We have since found out that we are expecting another little girl. &nbsp;My best friend is also pregnant with baby number 4 and it is so nice to do this pregnancy journey with her once again. She is due in the next 4 weeks and I look forward to seeing and holding her newest little one. <br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pq51en6LJuw/U9kOAtnGZQI/AAAAAAAADBI/Jv64LkDRpJQ/s1600/IMG_7114.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pq51en6LJuw/U9kOAtnGZQI/AAAAAAAADBI/Jv64LkDRpJQ/s1600/IMG_7114.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Boogie and Hubby praying<br />&nbsp;after Boogie received the <br />sacrament of reconciliation</td></tr></tbody></table>Boogie received not only the sacrament of reconciliation, but also his first holy communion. My father-in-law gave the homily and presented Boogie his first Eucharist as he had done for me 8 years ago.<br /><br />Birthdays were celebrated, &nbsp;Hubby, Mr. Bananas, Boogie, and myself are all another year older.<br /><br />Boogie finished the 2nd grade and Buggy graduated from preschool. <br /><br />All three kids joined the swim team this year. Boogie learned to swim 2 new strokes: breast stroke and butterfly. &nbsp;Buggy learned to swim across the pool in freestyle and backstroke. Both dropped time in meets and had a successful season. Mr. Bananas is officially a swim team kid and loves the water.<br /><br />Hubby and I celebrated our 13th wedding anniversary. &nbsp;We went out to dinner and talked for two hours reminiscing and laughing. The next morning we went out for breakfast holding hands and laughing some more. All this was made possible by my parents taking the kids for the night. It's amazing how much conversation can be had when one is not constantly answering questions from little ones. &nbsp;As always on the night of our anniversary we play our wedding song and danced the steps we learned for our wedding day. We haven't forgotten them. They have been modified over time and especially this last dance to accommodate my burgeoning belly. &nbsp;Our wedding dance is a sweet metaphor for the steps we take throughout our marriage. Sometimes we're in sync, sometimes we're not, sometimes we move too quickly or step slowly, there is a misstep or two and sometimes we're just holding on. &nbsp;One thing I can say is that I wouldn't want to continue this dance with anyone else. While it's not always perfect, it is ours. &nbsp;We were made for one another and I love my husband dearly.<br /><br />The summer is winding down, but not before we take a little family break to go to the beach. I think when that happens I'll be ready to let go of summer, get ready for the new school year, and let the nesting take hold full force as we prepare for our newest arrival due in October.<br /><br />There is so much to say and so much to share. &nbsp;But I'll stop here and fill in the space in future postings. &nbsp;Life is busy and it has gotten busier. &nbsp;My goal is to carve out time for more writing, more posting, more baby blankets, and more running. Yes, I'm still running. I'm officially 28 weeks pregnant today and I will be heading out shortly to do some intervals on the treadmill. I'm not as fast I was, but I'm still moving 2-3 miles a day. <br /><br />Overall, Life is good. I am still one very blessed, albeit busy, mama. &nbsp;This is a season and I am trying to savor as much of it as I can. <br /><br />Blessing to all of &nbsp;you!<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mHptqs-GvaU/U9kOQB00UOI/AAAAAAAADBQ/WD1DoXymKaY/s1600/IMG_7126.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mHptqs-GvaU/U9kOQB00UOI/AAAAAAAADBQ/WD1DoXymKaY/s1600/IMG_7126.jpg" height="320" width="311" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Celebrating Mr. Bananas' 3rd birthday with a special birthday breakfast</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YU1RbSedEbA/U9kOSV-Ne8I/AAAAAAAADBY/nfNFZG5bY88/s1600/IMG_7218.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YU1RbSedEbA/U9kOSV-Ne8I/AAAAAAAADBY/nfNFZG5bY88/s1600/IMG_7218.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The boys' celebrating their birthdays together with a Star Wars theme.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><br />http://thediscombobulatedmommy.blogspot.com/2014/07/6-month-recap.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (The Discombobulated Mommy)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2762661178381746673.post-2207664909330501631Tue, 07 Jan 2014 20:39:00 +00002014-01-07T15:39:08.826-05:00BoogieBuggydaddylovelove notesLunchbox Love NotesLast week when my kids went back to school, my hubby was still home on vacation. &nbsp;He woke up early and allowed me to sleep in an extra before we woke up the kids and got them ready for school. While I was still sleeping he made their lunches. &nbsp;Later, when I emptied their lunch boxes after school I found sweet little lunchbox love notes from Hubby to the kids. &nbsp;I try to write notes to the kids as often as I can and leave it in their lunchboxes. I think it's really sweet that Hubby wrote them each a note. I know that they loved getting a love note from Daddy. &nbsp;It was a sweet transition from vacation to going back to school. His help made it a smoother transition for me, too.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4wMJi4PUaMQ/UsxlJn8n3PI/AAAAAAAADAE/N-Q-xBPbl7s/s1600/IMG_7086.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4wMJi4PUaMQ/UsxlJn8n3PI/AAAAAAAADAE/N-Q-xBPbl7s/s1600/IMG_7086.jpg" height="320" width="307" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TKAjUF7F1i4/UsxlMspQH2I/AAAAAAAADAM/k6x7aubprk8/s1600/IMG_7087.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TKAjUF7F1i4/UsxlMspQH2I/AAAAAAAADAM/k6x7aubprk8/s1600/IMG_7087.jpg" height="295" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><br />http://thediscombobulatedmommy.blogspot.com/2014/01/lunchbox-love-notes.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (The Discombobulated Mommy)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2762661178381746673.post-234056855961637273Mon, 06 Jan 2014 19:44:00 +00002014-01-06T14:44:58.744-05:00New Year's resolutionsNew Year's Resolutions 2014Here it is, the first week of January. I've thought about resolutions, but I have been thinking that it's not so much about resolutions as much as it is a life style change. Geez, I sound like a weight loss commercial. <br /><br />But really, the things that I want to accomplish, well, I want them to be long-term, life-time changes. I may change and tweak them, but I want them to be solidly in my life. &nbsp;I just took a look at last year's resolutions and I think 2 out of 3 isn't bad.<br /><br />The first resolution was to accomplish tasks with a happy heart. &nbsp;I have to say that there was a lot less frustration this past year. A lot of times I let go of the little frustrations of every day life. Not entirely, because I'm not perfect, but I will say that my tone has been more patient with my kids. &nbsp;It helps that the big kids can do a lot of things on their own, but I still have the everyday frustrations of finding out that Boogie has forgotten his homework at school <b style="font-style: italic;">again</b>, Buggy has given me a peek of what it will look like when she is a hormonal teen (oh, the tears!), and Mr. Bananas, let's just say it's a good thing he's really cute. &nbsp;For some reason he thinks the word "no" means, "no, go ahead and try it." Gah! &nbsp;But overall, things are running a little smoother, a little less yelling is going on, and I'm not begging my husband to come home and rescue me from the craziness of having three children. &nbsp;I'm not perfect, but less volatile reaction provides a more calming atmosphere. Huh, who would've thunk. &nbsp;So this is a lifestyle change I'm going to keep.<br /><br />My next resolution was to run a half marathon in 2013. I smashed it and actually ran 2 half marathons in 2013 about 5 months apart. &nbsp;To be fair I did bonk at my last half marathon, but I finished. Finished poorly, but I finished! &nbsp;Because I can't bear to have such a poor showing at my last half marathon, I am determined to run another one in the next year or two and finish strong to make up for the last one.<br /><br />Ah, lastly...my last resolution was to write, write, write. And I didn't, didn't, didn't. Not to the extent to which I wanted. &nbsp;My writing time used to be before the kids woke up for school. That has changed because now I run before the kids get up for school. I still need to find time to write. &nbsp;It's not like the ideas aren't there, I just haven't found the time.<br /><br />So what will 2014 bring?<br /><br /><b>Run without Injury</b>. &nbsp;This is my goal, to run without injury. &nbsp;My last race was December 2013 and I had to hobble the last two miles of my 5K. My foot hurt so badly that I was limping for days. &nbsp;I spoke to one of my favorite gym instructors and she advised me to stop signing up for races and to learn how to run without getting injured. So that's what I'm doing. I've hired her as my personal trainer. It was my Christmas gift from my Hubby and my parents. &nbsp;I will have 8 sessions with her and she is going to give me exercises to strengthen all those parts that help me run. I'm &nbsp;excited! It means less racing in 2014, but hopefully more running. I have found that I cannot live without running. The last 3 weeks were miserable. My attitude took a nosedive and my stress level skyrocketed when I couldn't run. So here's to an injury free 2014!<br /><br /><b>Be Present. </b>I am a planner. I am always, always thinking of the next project, the next race, my next career move, and not being present in the here and now. &nbsp;I find that I am always looking for my next goal so I tend not to appreciate what I have now. &nbsp;My kids will only be this young for a little while. I relished and treasured my time home with them while they were on vacation. I was not sad that they had a snow day after their first day back after winter break. I made french toast and hot chocolate for breakfast and loved having them home. &nbsp;I have a good life and I need to enjoy it and appreciate it and not worry about the next thing. &nbsp;So I will learn to live in the now. While some planning is good, being present and being flexible is better. It's okay to have a messy house, right? &nbsp;Being okay with staying home and not working is another part of my being present.<br /><br /><b>Write, Write, Write.</b>&nbsp;Do I dare post that again? Yes! While I may not physically put words to paper, I am always thinking/pondering/writing entries in my head. &nbsp;I think I would feel better if I could just get it out there. &nbsp;So here I go again. Third time's the charm right?<br /><br />What are you goals, resolutions, life style changes for 2014? Will you be present? Will you tackle a new healthy eating menu? Will you take on a sport? Will you be creative? How will you help yourself and your neighbor?<br /><br />My wish for you is peace. May you find peace in the new year so that you may hear His voice. &nbsp;May you find yourself present and appreciative of all that God has to offer for you. I pray that you will bless others as you are blessed. May you find our outlet so that you may receive peace, love, and joy in the New Year. Be blessed.http://thediscombobulatedmommy.blogspot.com/2014/01/new-years-resolutions-2014.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (The Discombobulated Mommy)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2762661178381746673.post-142753595768133056Thu, 02 Jan 2014 21:48:00 +00002014-01-02T16:48:19.166-05:00affirmationFamilyworkFamilyI know I have been busy and I haven't been posting, but I am shocked to realize that I did not post at all in December! &nbsp;Life has been incredibly busy for us. Hubby has been working on a 6 month rotation in another office and has been coming home late each night. I've had to take care of homework, driving to activities, take kids to appointments, have our evening dinners without him, and take care of the bedtime rituals. &nbsp;In some ways, I feel like a single parent during the week. The upside is that Hubby has truly enjoyed his rotation. &nbsp;The kids and I miss him and we soak up every single minute with him during the weekends. <br /><br />Recently, I was offered an incredible opportunity to do some consulting work from home. When I was first approached in October, I was very excited and it was very doable. However, it didn't pan out in October and my time was quickly filled with volunteer work.<br /><br />October through January is an incredibly busy time for us. It kicks off with Buggy's birthday in October and then continues with hosting Thanksgiving (I think we hosted 42 people this year?!?), my mom's birthday, advent, baking cookies for the neighbors, shopping or making Christmas gifts, Christmas Eve at my SIL's house, hosting Christmas dinner this year (this time it was only 13), and then a string of visits with family and friends while the kids were on vacation. &nbsp;We packed in a lot of activity between the end of October until today when the kids went back to school. &nbsp;To top it all off, 4 out of the 5 of us were sick at any given time and Hubby was working until 9pm or so and coming home late. Needless to say, by the time the kids and Hubby started Christmas break we were all exhausted and the festivities were just beginning. &nbsp;A lot of it I had to handle solo because of Hubby's schedule and it was really hard.<br /><br />About three weeks ago, I was approached again by the same company to do some consulting work and I was ready to turn in my resume and write my blurb for their website. &nbsp;But then we all got sick, Hubby was working late, and time kept running away from me and every night I went to bed frustrated by what did not get accomplished in the 24 hours given to me. &nbsp;Sadly, I realized that I could not make it work. &nbsp;It was not the right time for me to begin working again. The job opportunity was amazing and most of the work could be done from home and I could manage my own time and the company was family friendly. So why did I decline the offer? If the last few weeks were any indication of how my life was going, there was no way I could commit to any project at any time. As it stood, I had no time to sit down to even send out my resume and that was already done! &nbsp;Hours were flying by and I was exhausted just trying to keep up. &nbsp;I made the difficult decision to say, "Not at this time" and it was painful to do it.<br /><br />However, I realized that right now I need to focus on my family. &nbsp;There have been many days recently where I have had to play mother and father. While I was sad to step away from the job offer and bring in a little income for my family and keep up with current educational practices, I realized that now was not the time for me to focus on something new. &nbsp;While I contemplated this and continued to mull it over, the homily for this past Sunday was on family. &nbsp;I am a firm believer that God speaks to us in many ways and often will affirm decisions made. I have felt his gentle nudge and sometimes kick in the pants when having to make a specific decision. &nbsp;When I was at church I heard His voice through the homily and realized that God was telling me to focus on my family right now. <br /><br />Okay, God. I hear you. I will trust that another opportunity will come again at a better time. &nbsp;You have not let me down yet, and I know that you are guiding my path. I will surrender to your will and wait. Thank you for the reminder that I am still needed wanted in the workforce, thank you for reminding me that right now my job is my family. I will listen and I will wait.<br /><br />A friend shared with me that my job as a mother is mostly behind the scenes and so very important. &nbsp;She said that I make home a welcoming place to be. It is warm and loving. It is a place where my husband is happy to be after a long day at work. It's a place where my children feel loved, safe, and welcomed. &nbsp;Isn't it funny that I never looked at it that way before? I just keep going day after day, but this shed a new light on my role as a wife and mother. I create harmony and a welcoming atmosphere. How cool is that? &nbsp;It's time like these that I remember the old adage, "it's not work if you love what you do." And I do love what I do. I love going to the preschool sings, the awards ceremonies, the swim meets, the soccer games. I love taking my oldest out to get his ribbons after a Wednesday night meet and staying up late and eating desserts before we call it day. I love hanging out with my friends while our kids are having a playdate. I love being available in case something cool happens at school and I can be there to participate with my kids. &nbsp;I love having time to make baby afghans for my friends' new babies, teaching baptism prep at our church, and being a preschool camp teacher for one week in the summer. &nbsp;So while I'm a little sad to take more time off from working, I know that I love what I am currently doing and that God will provide another&nbsp;opportunity. I just have to wait and listen.<br /><br />2014 is starting off on the right foot and I look forward to what it may bring. May it bring you laughter, fun, and blessings. Peace be with you as you begin the new year.<br /><br />Psalms 13:6 <br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: Arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">I will sing unto the LORD, because he hath dealt bountifully with me.</span>http://thediscombobulatedmommy.blogspot.com/2014/01/family.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (The Discombobulated Mommy)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2762661178381746673.post-731959866492895330Tue, 19 Nov 2013 01:29:00 +00002013-11-18T20:29:03.797-05:00affirmationA Reminder<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-w54E4fp0gJQ/Uoq-QwmDXtI/AAAAAAAAC_w/uV4HWLkh-aE/s1600/IMG_6744.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-w54E4fp0gJQ/Uoq-QwmDXtI/AAAAAAAAC_w/uV4HWLkh-aE/s320/IMG_6744.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Little reminders</td></tr></tbody></table>A few weeks ago, I was randomly thinking about if and how I make a difference in my children's lives. My husband thinks I do. I wanted to stay home to raise our kids and he fully supported my decision. &nbsp;But there are days that go by and I wonder if I have made a difference. Do my kids know that I love them? Will they appreciate that I chose to stay home and raise them? &nbsp;And hello, pity party, is there more to me than washing laundry, washing the dishes, putting things away, and making meals? &nbsp;Have I lost myself in the process of the redundancy of being home to 3 smallish children? &nbsp;I don't write as much as I would like, however, I make up for my lack of writing by running more often. Not that running as replaced my passion for writing, but the endorphin rush makes me a less frustrated mama. &nbsp;And time. Seriously, where does the time go? I have so much I would like to accomplish and I'm hoping I'm accomplishing the most important thing...loving my husband and children and raising a family of responsible, kind, loving people who learn to help others, share the light of Jesus, and become independent adults. <br /><div><br /></div><div>I guess God knows when you need a little reminder that you do matter. &nbsp;Mine came in the form of a letter a couple of weeks ago. I was in the midst of putting away laundry waiting for dinner to come out of the oven when we received a surprise knock on the door. It was one of our Flipper coaches who stopped by to give me a thank you letter for my help in looking over his college essays. &nbsp;He could have easily sent me an email, a text, or a Facebook message. But instead he took the time to drive to my house and hand deliver it. &nbsp;It wasn't long, nor did it need to be. &nbsp;He had given me a little reminder that I make a difference. It came at a good time for me and I am grateful. I think it's very easy to get lost in the everyday tasks and to forget about one's dreams and aspirations while helping your children attain theirs. &nbsp;I think it's very easy to get lost helping everyone else that you forget to help yourself or remind yourself that you make a difference. &nbsp;</div><div><br /></div><div>I really enjoyed looking over the college essays and writing my notes on the side. I enjoyed taking the time to get to know this coach a little better through his writing and to be once again be reminded that my children are surrounded by good people. &nbsp;I didn't help him because I was looking for any kind of recognition and in reality I was hoping that I was indeed helping. It's been awhile since I've had to look over someone's writing and make suggestions and edits. I was afraid I was a little rusty and that it wouldn't be college worthy. But as he just received his first acceptance letter, I think, "Heck, well maybe I did a better job than I thought." &nbsp;But as I turned in my last edits I continued with my everyday tasks of being carpooling, cooking, volunteering, and just being mama to my beautiful kids.</div><div><br /></div><div>And then, then when I needed that reminder, it came. It's nice to know that I still make a difference and to be reminded to do everything I do with a cheerful heart. The reward is not in the recognition, but in doing something with a joyful heart. &nbsp;</div><div><br /></div><div>I decided the letter was a keeper and it sits on my bookshelf next to the thank you card that I received from my Flipper coaches this past summer. &nbsp;Little reminders that somewhere along the line, I make a difference. &nbsp;Mother Teresa reminds us to continue to good no matter the outcome. I love her quote "Do it Anyway." <br /><br /><br /></div>http://thediscombobulatedmommy.blogspot.com/2013/11/a-reminder.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (The Discombobulated Mommy)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2762661178381746673.post-2720522469474518645Fri, 08 Nov 2013 23:15:00 +00002013-11-08T18:17:07.405-05:00BuggyOne on One TimeThe day after Halloween was quiet, drizzly, dreary day. A perfect day for sleeping in. Boogie did not have school that day, but Buggy did. I debated whether or not to wake the children and bring her to school. They were all sleeping so soundly I did not have the heart to wake them. &nbsp;However, I did need to go to Mass that day and the question was do I bring 2 or do I bring all 3? &nbsp;I posted on Facebook about whether or not to wake the kids to bring Buggy to school. The consensus was to let everyone sleep. &nbsp;Of course, right after I posted, Buggy woke up.<br /><br />I still debated and she and I talked about the benefits of staying home. &nbsp;We chatted about the benefits of going to school. &nbsp;She and I enjoyed a leisurely morning. I made her a nice hot breakfast and told her she could have anything she wanted. We made omelets and tea and enjoyed an hour together before the boys woke up. <br /><br />After the boys woke up I fed them and made everyone get dressed. I drove Buggy to school an hour late and took the boys to Mass. <br /><br />I reveled in the quiet morning with my girl. We spent some nice one on one time, which is becoming rare because she attends school 4 days a week now. &nbsp;We chatted, made breakfast together, and enjoyed have a "girls" morning. Just us.<br /><br />As each of my kids become older and attend school I find that I covet these rare days that I get to spend with any of them one on one. &nbsp;I know I say it all the time, but time flies and it goes way too quickly. &nbsp;There will be a time that they won't want me to kiss them in front of their peers, volunteer at their school, or just be around. &nbsp;I hope that's not true, but it may be. So I treasure this time. To sit, to talk, to sip tea, and to just be. May I never forget my time with them and may they always look back remember that I love them and that I treasure my time with them. Even if I am a little grumpy when I'm trying to get them all out the door on time ;)<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--jRvMY3C1uY/Un1vZEK_LRI/AAAAAAAAC_U/x3cK4PbuT1Y/s1600/IMG_6719.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--jRvMY3C1uY/Un1vZEK_LRI/AAAAAAAAC_U/x3cK4PbuT1Y/s320/IMG_6719.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just the Girls</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-frDxUg1fh5A/Un1vlM2oyLI/AAAAAAAAC_c/EvlY7nzUgNM/s1600/IMG_6721.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-frDxUg1fh5A/Un1vlM2oyLI/AAAAAAAAC_c/EvlY7nzUgNM/s320/IMG_6721.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Sweet Buggy</td></tr></tbody></table><br />http://thediscombobulatedmommy.blogspot.com/2013/11/one-on-one-time.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (The Discombobulated Mommy)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2762661178381746673.post-7652278858396598217Tue, 05 Nov 2013 20:37:00 +00002013-11-05T15:37:15.086-05:00halloweenHalloween costumesLeiaLukeStar WarsYodaMay the Force Be With You (Halloween 2013)<br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ah5BAWFVJJk/UnlSOwStKXI/AAAAAAAAC-Y/rkKPlWkRkfk/s1600/IMG_6709.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ah5BAWFVJJk/UnlSOwStKXI/AAAAAAAAC-Y/rkKPlWkRkfk/s320/IMG_6709.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leia, Yoda, and Luke</td></tr></tbody></table>After a couple of years of having a theme for Halloween, I think it might be this way a while longer. Especially since my oldest began plotting next year's costumes soon after he came in from trick or treating.<br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-70UEheikMQs/UnlS06ENK9I/AAAAAAAAC_A/oEZX7kGtzAA/s1600/IMG_6708.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-70UEheikMQs/UnlS06ENK9I/AAAAAAAAC_A/oEZX7kGtzAA/s320/IMG_6708.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My parents came over to see the kids in their costumes</td></tr></tbody></table>This year my kids were Star Wars characters. The theme was kicked off when a friend gave Buggy a Princess Leia costume. After that, the boys had to be Star Wars characters as well! &nbsp;I ordered costumes for the boys and Bananas was Yoda and Boogie was Luke Skywalker. We procured light sabers from our next door neighbors and the costumes were complete.<br /><br />Halloween started with a Halloween parade and party at Boogie's school. I dressed the younger kids and Buggy jumped right into the parade before the kids left the classroom. &nbsp;Boogie was stuck holding his brother's hand and it made him very grumpy. &nbsp;Bananas is little so it takes him more effort to keep up with the group and it made Boogie frustrated that he couldn't keep up with the group. &nbsp;However, all was forgiven after the parade and once the sugar rush kicked in from the party.<br /><br />We came home and I rushed to finish up straightening the house before our neighbors came over for dinner. I invited several families over to our house and I ordered pizza for the group. We ended up with 12 kids and 8 adults at our house enjoying pizza, salad, and juice boxes before we put on glow bracelets and necklaces and went out trick or treating. Along the way a few more neighborhood kids joined our group and we ended up with a large group of 15 walking around the neighborhood. I know from running in our neighborhood that the complete loop is a mile. <br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uoUKVCzlBNI/UnlSf7ajuQI/AAAAAAAAC-s/kxgRo8zg9_w/s1600/IMG_6682.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uoUKVCzlBNI/UnlSf7ajuQI/AAAAAAAAC-s/kxgRo8zg9_w/s320/IMG_6682.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting ready to go to Boogie's party and parade with our neighbor Spider Man</td></tr></tbody></table>The younger kids were getting tired halfway through, but the big kids hit just about every house. &nbsp;I think Boogie led the way most of the time and had a blast. &nbsp;Halfway through the neighborhood, Bananas began rubbing his eyes and he and Hubby headed home. I continued with the big kids. We were blessed with 70 degree weather and only a light rain. &nbsp;Hubby and I truly enjoyed our trip around the neighborhood with our neighbors. &nbsp;It was so nice to watch the kids have fun and chat with our neighbors. &nbsp;Our schedule is so busy and jam packed that we rarely get a chance to see our neighbors and spend time with them. &nbsp;Our night was so much fun and most importantly the kids enjoyed themselves. &nbsp;By the time we came home, the rain came down harder and we didn't have a lot of trick or treaters. I'm glad the rain held out while we were trick or treating. <br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3GAzlT6_oJE/UnlSYnJEp4I/AAAAAAAAC-k/bU19LZq_MPg/s1600/IMG_6692.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3GAzlT6_oJE/UnlSYnJEp4I/AAAAAAAAC-k/bU19LZq_MPg/s320/IMG_6692.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He's make a pretty good lookin' Luke Skywalker</td></tr></tbody></table>We've done a theme for the last few years. &nbsp;Two years ago the big kids were characters from the movie "How to Train Your Dragon." Last year all three kids were characters from the Narnia series: &nbsp;King Peter, Queen Susan, and the Dragon. This year was Star Wars. Boogie is already thinking ahead for another theme...I'm thinking Firefly...Can't you see Bananas as the Hero of Canton?<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Y9Q4FH4UVgI/UnlSrm_MEbI/AAAAAAAAC-4/L_xlFcWfFrY/s1600/IMG_6694.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Y9Q4FH4UVgI/UnlSrm_MEbI/AAAAAAAAC-4/L_xlFcWfFrY/s320/IMG_6694.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Class picture</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2kYBILR7C_I/UnlSsXHE0wI/AAAAAAAAC-8/1v1hiyqTZzQ/s1600/IMG_6701.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2kYBILR7C_I/UnlSsXHE0wI/AAAAAAAAC-8/1v1hiyqTZzQ/s320/IMG_6701.jpg" width="151" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Grumpy Luke with an oblivious Yoda and Princess Leia.<br />Fortunately, he lightened up once the party started :)</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /><br /></div>http://thediscombobulatedmommy.blogspot.com/2013/11/may-force-be-with-you-halloween-2013.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (The Discombobulated Mommy)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2762661178381746673.post-56832942792740802Mon, 28 Oct 2013 19:18:00 +00002013-10-28T15:18:44.752-04:005BirthdayBirthday partyBuggy5 is Fabulous!Buggy turned 5 years old last week. I still can't believe it. She has always seemed grown up that I think she has always seemed older than she is. &nbsp;Even at ages 3 and 4 she was a big help to me. &nbsp;Her height also makes me forget that she is younger than I think she is. &nbsp;But no, she is only 5. Thank you goodness! I don't want her growing up too fast! <br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cNVLbg1uIDc/Um62vEIn3qI/AAAAAAAAC-M/W1Mt16kbdzc/s1600/IMG_6432.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cNVLbg1uIDc/Um62vEIn3qI/AAAAAAAAC-M/W1Mt16kbdzc/s320/IMG_6432.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cousins celebrating being 5 years old!</td></tr></tbody></table>We celebrated my sweet girl with an annual family party with her cousin who is 3 weeks older. &nbsp;The two of them have celebrated every birthday together. &nbsp;This year we celebrated the family party much earlier than we usually do and this time we celebrated it at her cousin's house. &nbsp;It is usually at our house in late October. This time, we celebrated in early October. Poor Buggy thought we were not including her in the birthday celebration because it really wasn't her birthday, yet. &nbsp;She wondered aloud if her cousins would think to give her presents. I had to assure her that it was a celebration for and for her cousin, and yes, she would receive presents. &nbsp;She had a wonderful time and the weather was perfect. The cousins spent most of their time playing outside and soaking up the sun.<br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6n8nePGusJU/Um62CzzpG1I/AAAAAAAAC-A/ZFiLPKzvyHs/s1600/IMG_6523.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6n8nePGusJU/Um62CzzpG1I/AAAAAAAAC-A/ZFiLPKzvyHs/s320/IMG_6523.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Buggy and friends cheering for the yellow knight</td></tr></tbody></table>The weekend before Buggy's birthday I took her and two of her friends to Medieval Times. &nbsp;She has been wanting to go ever since her big brother went earlier this year. &nbsp;I wish we could have invited more people and included her friends' families, but tickets are expensive so it was a little party. &nbsp;The girls had so much fun and I have to admit I did, too. &nbsp;Buggy's eyes went wide when they announced "Princess" with her name during the royal announcements. &nbsp;She whispered, "I'm a princess!" Yes, Sweetheart, you are! &nbsp;The girls cheered for the yellow knight and were most excited to see the jousting. &nbsp;While the yellow knight did not win, he did throw his last carnation to Buggy just after he kissed. It's still sitting on our dining room table, still a brilliant pink. &nbsp;We ended the evening with cupcakes and at our friend's house where we were able to include the rest of the families in the celebration. &nbsp;It was wonderful and fun and Buggy was happy to be with her friends.<br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sBegZywe3f0/Um61qD29fPI/AAAAAAAAC9g/foiXe5H4lyc/s1600/IMG_6501.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sBegZywe3f0/Um61qD29fPI/AAAAAAAAC9g/foiXe5H4lyc/s320/IMG_6501.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Princess caught the flower from the yellow knight</td></tr></tbody></table>We ended the month long celebration on her real birthday, October 22nd. &nbsp;Buggy brought cookies and juice pouches to her preschool for snack. &nbsp;Her teachers made a big deal about how much they think she's grown. &nbsp;She felt special the whole day. &nbsp;We took her out to dinner to our favorite family restaurant. We were joined by my parents and we were waited on by one of my former students. (I'm starting to feel my age when I meet my former elementary and middle school students outside of school and they are waiting on me at a store or restaurant!).<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4G-czSlH-04/Um62DZMsyMI/AAAAAAAAC90/bS-nKU0frto/s1600/IMG_6629.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4G-czSlH-04/Um62DZMsyMI/AAAAAAAAC90/bS-nKU0frto/s320/IMG_6629.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Family photo!</td></tr></tbody></table>We ended the evening with opening presents on mommy and daddy's bed where they were waiting for her. &nbsp;Her brothers helped and she "ooooohhhhhed and ahhhhhhhed" over each present. &nbsp;We took a selfie family picture and I reveled in the miracle that is my daughter. &nbsp;She amazes me and I feel so blessed to be able to call her mine. &nbsp;She and her brothers are truly God's gift to me and their father. <br /><br />I look at my blond haired daughter with her wide blue eyes and I am reminded to find the good in all things and people, to be kind, to be thoughtful, to be grateful, to love, and to be loved. &nbsp;Buggy came at a time in my life when I was struggling with bullies at work, feeling let down, and feeling frustrated with so many things. She is God's reminder to me that even through great challenges, good things can happen. &nbsp;She is the sunshine in my life. She has my heart.<br /><br />Happy 5th birthday, my sweet Buggy! &nbsp;I love you to the moon and back. Love, Mama<br /><br /><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-X13ck-jh_Qg/Um61YPRgVoI/AAAAAAAAC9U/8xeb963ETAY/s1600/IMG_2647.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-X13ck-jh_Qg/Um61YPRgVoI/AAAAAAAAC9U/8xeb963ETAY/s320/IMG_2647.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just Born!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0lbUPmBNCrg/Um60bFoE7EI/AAAAAAAAC8Y/tHa5OmSmzEo/s1600/DSC02807.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0lbUPmBNCrg/Um60bFoE7EI/AAAAAAAAC8Y/tHa5OmSmzEo/s320/DSC02807.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One is Fun!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-grPcjnFXORg/Um605_P-BoI/AAAAAAAAC8w/ROo9uK9WERQ/s1600/DSC04659.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-grPcjnFXORg/Um605_P-BoI/AAAAAAAAC8w/ROo9uK9WERQ/s320/DSC04659.jpg" width="179" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two is "tu-tu" perfect<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--LMYqfgmfzw/Um60nOVpvgI/AAAAAAAAC8g/Y7Dw1SCSKk8/s1600/IMG_1617.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--LMYqfgmfzw/Um60nOVpvgI/AAAAAAAAC8g/Y7Dw1SCSKk8/s320/IMG_1617.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Three is thrilling</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Owbpz1Vcesg/Um603v79xhI/AAAAAAAAC8o/VJ14Boel6co/s1600/IMG_4707.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Owbpz1Vcesg/Um603v79xhI/AAAAAAAAC8o/VJ14Boel6co/s320/IMG_4707.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Four" ever Daddy's girl!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NIrR2R_f-pY/Um61St2F72I/AAAAAAAAC88/Y-FuprUHk-c/s1600/IMG_6581.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NIrR2R_f-pY/Um61St2F72I/AAAAAAAAC88/Y-FuprUHk-c/s320/IMG_6581.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">5 is fabulous when Daddy is a super hero!</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /><div><br /><div><br /><div><br /><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div></div></div></div></div></div>http://thediscombobulatedmommy.blogspot.com/2013/10/5-is-fabulous.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (The Discombobulated Mommy)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2762661178381746673.post-5711597963372307054Mon, 21 Oct 2013 21:35:00 +00002013-10-21T17:35:44.857-04:00daddyMr. BananasLike Daddy<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6Y1ZUpz-_yE/UmWdx1UY2OI/AAAAAAAAC7w/eYaQQvVyalg/s1600/IMG_6393.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6Y1ZUpz-_yE/UmWdx1UY2OI/AAAAAAAAC7w/eYaQQvVyalg/s320/IMG_6393.jpg" width="207" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He looks so scholarly holding a ruler in his hand</td></tr></tbody></table>Recently Mr. Bananas has been asking for a tie to wear on Sundays. I have to say that we dress somewhat casually for church. The boys wear polos or sweaters, Buggy wears a dress (she's probably the most dressed up), Hubby wears a polo or a button down shirt with dress pants, and depending on the weather I'm wearing a dress, skirt, or even jeans with a nice top. But no heels for this lady. A nice pair of flats does nicely.<br /><br />So it was funny when Bananas started asking for a tie. We have two toddler sized ties. I don't know the location of one, so all we have been able to find is a red Christmas tie. &nbsp;He's worn it two Sundays in a row and has started asking to wear it during the day over his t-shirts. &nbsp;He says he wants to be "like Daddy."<br /><br />&nbsp;"Daddy wear tie?"<br />"Yes, Daddy wears a tie for work."<br />"Bananas wear tie, too. Wear, tie, too!"<br /><br />It's pretty stinkin' cute. Especially when he runs down the aisle at church to catch up with the big kids and walk down to Children's Liturgy with them. <br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nLMvOIzf0Gg/UmWdZl1rmRI/AAAAAAAAC7o/gfvlQ7DlqXg/s1600/IMG_1464.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nLMvOIzf0Gg/UmWdZl1rmRI/AAAAAAAAC7o/gfvlQ7DlqXg/s320/IMG_1464.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Yes! I get to wear a tie!"</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><br />http://thediscombobulatedmommy.blogspot.com/2013/10/like-daddy.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (The Discombobulated Mommy)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2762661178381746673.post-2454516247394393896Fri, 18 Oct 2013 19:03:00 +00002013-10-18T15:03:06.788-04:00exerciseExercising with the KidsI can't always get in a run, but I try to keep up with a monthly challenge featured on the Women's Running Community Facebook page. This month it's a tricep challenge which also included planks. &nbsp;Of course, without fail, anytime I am on the floor, my two year old decides it's the best time to climb on Mommy. &nbsp;Have you tried to do planks with a two year old on your back? He was having way more fun that I was :) <br /><br />I love that my kids see me exercise. &nbsp;I want them to know that Mommy exercises so that she can be strong and healthy and I try very hard to not to mention weight or losing weight. I want them to equate exercise with being healthy and strong, not weight loss. &nbsp;But let's be honest, I am constantly fighting the battle of the bulge. &nbsp;I still have 6 pounds to lose to bring me to my pre-baby weight from my last pregnancy. I also know that I really should lose about another 20 to bring me to a "healthy" weight according to BMI. &nbsp;While I struggle with my weight, I also know that I am more fit than I have ever been in my life. This year I completed TWO half marathons. &nbsp;I run longer and farther than I ever have and I now eat to fuel my body for the next training run or work out. <br /><br />I find great pleasure in going for a walk or run with my kiddos or have them join me in doing planks...even if I am the only one actually doing it while they are along for the ride ;)<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fuuviVI0TIY/UmGFXtFS-AI/AAAAAAAAC7Y/LKzX3Nrm0nU/s1600/IMG_6418.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fuuviVI0TIY/UmGFXtFS-AI/AAAAAAAAC7Y/LKzX3Nrm0nU/s320/IMG_6418.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looks like fun, doesn't it?</td></tr></tbody></table><br />http://thediscombobulatedmommy.blogspot.com/2013/10/exercising-with-kids.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (The Discombobulated Mommy)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2762661178381746673.post-704025143772932451Fri, 18 Oct 2013 00:30:00 +00002013-10-17T20:30:42.844-04:00Dimity McDowellRun Like a MotherRunningSara Bowen SheaSBSsole sistersTrain Like a MotherRun Like a Mother Party<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-idO2rmz-lLI/UmB_Mo5so_I/AAAAAAAAC64/xmdkTCtVoMY/s1600/IMG_6421.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-idO2rmz-lLI/UmB_Mo5so_I/AAAAAAAAC64/xmdkTCtVoMY/s320/IMG_6421.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hanging out at the Run Like a Mother Party</td></tr></tbody></table>&nbsp;On my last birthday my BFF gave me the book <u>Train Like a Mother</u>&nbsp;by Dimity McDowell and Sarah Bowen Shea. For all the mama runners out there, I highly recommend this book. It's written as if you are hanging out with your best girlfriends talking about running, training for races, and how to maintain a running lifestyle while maintaining your "family, job, or sanity." &nbsp;It's a must read.<br /><br />I used the half-marathon "finish it" plan for my last half marathon. I cranked out a lot of miles while working on my speed and preparation for hills. &nbsp;Um, it is not for the faint of heart. &nbsp;I haven't even attempted the "own it" plan. &nbsp;I'm using the "finish it" plan once again in the hopes to PR for my next half. <br /><br />Shortly after receiving this book my friend m00se, an ultramarathoner recommended the "Run Like a Mother: The Book" Facebook page. I "liked" it and and now get daily inspiration from these witty, fun, and "I totally get you" mother runners. <br /><br />m00se and I had the awesome opportunity to attend one of of their "Run Like a Mother" parties that was happening locally. I think we signed up 6 months in advance and we were both looking forward to it. It did not disappoint. &nbsp;It was filled with other mother runners of all shapes, sizes, ages, and seasons of life. &nbsp;The authors read snippets from their <u>Train Like a Mother </u>book, awarded some amazing giveaways (jogging stroller, anyone?), and took their time to meet, greet, take pictures, and sign books for their fans. <br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-d9MUwRaRjE4/UmB_p5MKUkI/AAAAAAAAC7I/kyShQLfHZBo/s1600/IMG_6425.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-d9MUwRaRjE4/UmB_p5MKUkI/AAAAAAAAC7I/kyShQLfHZBo/s320/IMG_6425.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A pic with the awesome Dimity McDowell</td></tr></tbody></table>I brought my brought my birthday present and they each signed my book. Admittedly, I was too shy to ask for pictures and did not get one with SBS, but Dimity saw me taking candid pictures of her and my friend and offered to take a picture with me. Uh, yes please!<br /><br />The best part of the night was watching m00se and Dimity connect and of course, hanging out with my friend. m00se and I knew each other in college and we were friendly, lost contact over the years and reconnected through Facebook. &nbsp;Running has brought us to a new level of friendship. &nbsp;Over the course of the last year or so we have gotten to know each other better, cheered for each (or at least texted) for races, talked training plans, and moved towards talking about family, marriage, children, and life in general. There's nothing like a friendship of that of a sole sister. It is a friendship that I value.<br /><br />By the end of the evening I was the proud owner of <u>Run Like a Mother,</u>&nbsp;a signed copy of <u>Train Like a Mother</u>, and two shirts with running slogans. Yeah, I totally geeked out over going to a running party. &nbsp;It was energizing and empowering to hang out with other mother runners, the authors, and my friend who is a running inspiration. &nbsp;It was awesome.<br /><br />Keep running!<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZSskioEZ5xM/UmB-1jBDNZI/AAAAAAAAC60/Wm0QGo11S5E/s1600/IMG_6477.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZSskioEZ5xM/UmB-1jBDNZI/AAAAAAAAC60/Wm0QGo11S5E/s320/IMG_6477.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They signed my book!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ARUZNSVxNK8/UmB_hkgNZ6I/AAAAAAAAC7E/6WusnHJKX-Q/s1600/IMG_6424.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ARUZNSVxNK8/UmB_hkgNZ6I/AAAAAAAAC7E/6WusnHJKX-Q/s320/IMG_6424.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">S. and Dimity bonding over tattoos, running, and running coaches.</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /><br /><br /><br /></div>http://thediscombobulatedmommy.blogspot.com/2013/10/run-like-mother-party.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (The Discombobulated Mommy)0